Common Agricultural Policy

That the Parliament notes the importance of the new EU common agricultural policy to Scotland in helping to deliver viable food production and sustainable management of natural resources; welcomes the publication of two Scottish Government consultation documents on its implementation and notes that these are based on detailed and extensive discussions with stakeholders; recognises the complexity in implementing the policy changes adopted by the EU; supports the Scottish Government’s determination to ensure that future farm payments are made on the basis of active land; agrees that the options available to the Scottish Government to implement the proposals are further limited due to the poor budget settlement from the UK Government, which failed to recognise Scotland’s distinct needs and confines it to the lowest per-hectare funding in Europe for both direct funding and rural development, and welcomes the Scottish Government’s commitment to seriously consider issues raised during the consultations and to take the right decisions for the future of Scottish agriculture prior to the final implementation.