British Farmers Fobbed Off by Health Commissioner
British farmers and growers facing two new EU-imposed threats to their livelihoods have been fobbed off in Brussels by the Commissioner for Health, Mrs Androulla Vassiliou.
This is the claim of Independent MEP for South-East England, Ashley Mote, following answers from the European Commission to written questions raised on behalf of British farmers and growers.
Mrs Vassiliou has represented Cyprus on the commission since April 2008. Mr Mote commented, “She is a lawyer with no knowledge or experience of farming, and precious little of health matters, come to that. She claimed her appointment was a fresh blow for gender equality. Her new duties did not get a mention.?
Meanwhile, the Danish Agriculture Commissioner, Mrs Mariann Fischer-Boel has ducked both issues, one of them probably because of a conflict of interest.
The electronic tagging of sheep, which the entire British sheep industry is against, has been told by Mrs Vassiliou that making different regulations for different sheep farming environments in the EU would “constitute unfair competition?.
“Can you believe it? Yes, in Brussels you can. A health minister with no knowledge of farming uses competition law to defend the destruction of a farming way of life that has faced far harsher competition from the environment and climate than ever from other farmers?, Mr Mote said.
“Upland sheep farming in the UK has survived for centuries before she came along. Its threadbare existent and way of life are socially and commercially much more important than theoretical nonsense about competition. But now a lawyer fussing about women�s rights has triumphed over them.?
Mrs Vassiliou has done the same for growers, market gardeners and horticulturalists. They face a ban on pesticides (already highly regulated in the UK) which have allowed decades of crop control and the production of high-quality goods at competitive prices. Not any more.
In the interests of “simplified rules on data protection, clear deadlines for the approval and authorisation procedure and facilitated authorisation for minor uses? [you figure out what it means] the ban will stand, despite widespread protests from all over the UK. Hundreds of specialist growers will be obliged to face hugely increased costs or a closure of their businesses.
And why is the Danish Agriculture Commissioner not involved? In Denmark, drinking water is taken straight from the ground. Protecting their interests is the real purpose of the ban on pesticides. But Mrs Fischer-Boel cannot say so.
“British growers� livelihoods are being put at risk to protect Danish health. And while their interests are obviously legitimate, the only reason for destroying British interests is because of the EU�s obsession with standardisation. ?Diversity� may be the EU claim but rigid standardisation is the reality?.
Mr Mote is planning more questions on both issues, and urges farmers and growers to write direct to both commissioners. Their addresses or on his website.
To respond to, or comment on this Email, please email ashley.mote@btconnect.com
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