British Agricultural Policy after Brexit

After the UK left the EU it would need to replace the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) with a new policy framework for agriculture in the UK. Important decisions needed to be taken soon both on domestic arrangements for farmers and on policy for agricultural trade with other countries. These decisions, which would determine prices and supplies of food for consumers, and had an impact on the British landscape and the natural environment, should be taken on the basis of well-informed public debate.

Until 2018 the Government had given little indication of its plans in this field but early in 2018 Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, outlined in a speech his ideas for agricultural policy after Brexit. Some of these were included in the ‘25 Year Plan for the Environment’ launched by the Prime Minister on 11 January 2018 and were repeated in a speech that Mr Gove made to the National Farmers’ Union on 20 February 2018. Finally, on 27 February 2018 the Government published a consultation paper that primarily dealt with agriculture policy in England after Brexit but contained some proposals relating to the UK as a whole.

Meanwhile the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee published a report in February 2018 that expressed concern on a number of matters. UK

UK Ministers said that there would be an Agriculture Bill* to implement the UK’s post-Brexit agricultural policy but no timetable for its publication had been given.

This paper examined the prospects and options in light of these developments.

* The Agriculture Bill was introduced on the 12 September 2018

ESO: In Focus: Brexit - The United Kingdom and the European Union http://www.europeansources.info/record/brexit-the-united-kingdom-and-the-european-union/

ESO: Find further information in ESO on UK farming post-Brexit http://www.europeansources.info/advSearchLink?keyword=brexit%20after%20farmers%20&searchOption=all

ESO: Find further information in ESO on environmental policies in the UK post-Brexit http://www.europeansources.info/advSearchLink?keyword=brexit%20after%20environment%20&searchOption=all

UK: GOV.UK: DEFRA: Consultation, February-May 2018: Health and Harmony. The future for food, farming and the environment https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/the-future-for-food-farming-and-the-environment

Deutsche Welle, 07.09.18: Food, farming and sustainability: What future in post-Brexit UK? https://p.dw.com/p/34UZi

UK: GOV.UK: Environment Agency: Correspondence, 08.05.18: Defra future farming consultation: Environment Agency response https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defra-future-farming-consultation-environment-agency-response

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