Review of EU powers over UK agriculture and fisheries

People with knowledge of farming and fishing industries have been invited to share their views on how membership of the EU has affected the UK national interest.

The calls for evidence form part of the Government’s Balance of Competences Review, which is an analysis of the scope of EU powers and the effects they have on the UK.

The agriculture report will examine EU powers for the Common Agricultural Policy, plant health and forestry; the Fisheries report will examine EU powers for the Common Fisheries Policy, the management of fisheries and the farming of fish and shellfish.

Environment Secretary, Owen Paterson, says: “We want to hear from people with direct experience of what our membership of the EU means in practice. Our farmers and fishermen are affected by it every day, so I’d like to know what they think. Anyone involved in agriculture, forestry or the fishing industry will have a view, as will the thousands of businesses linked to them.”

Calls for evidence are running for twelve weeks from 21st October 2013 to 13 January 2014 and final reports will be published in summer 2014.