Euro Myths - Agriculture (Andrew Duff MEP)

Andrew Duff MEP <info@andrewduffmep.org.uk>

Agriculture

British farmers lose out in Europe and would be better off if we left. This is untrue. Ben Gill, NFU President has said: "Membership of the EU is vital to the interests of British farmers. Over three-quarters of our agricultural commodity exports go to the EU and this share is only likely to grow with the further enlargement of the EU. Looking ahead, the signs are that the whole of the food chain will become increasingly integrated on a European scale. Our future as part of a competitive food industry depends on continuing membership of the Union."
British farmers would be better off if Britain ruled out the option to join a successful single currency. This is untrue. The NFU has estimated that British farmers lost £450 million in 1999 because of the high Pound. This position would continue indefinitely outside the euro-zone. Ben Gill, NFU President, has said: "Farmers, I believe, are more exposed to the £/ecu or £/euro exchange rate risk than any other industry. I think there is a danger for British agriculture if we stay out for too long."
British beef sales would be better off outside the EU. This is untrue. By the start of 2000, British beef was on sale in thirteen EU countries, whilst still banned in 89 other countries across the world from America, Australia and Malta through Singapore, Switzerland and even Uzbekistan.
The BSE crisis was made worse by Europe. The opposite is true. The BSE crisis came about due to policies in Britain, not the EU. The EU has actually provided 70% of the compensation costs of taking older beef out of the food chain, helping to solve the BSE crisis.
Because we are in the EU, we can't do anything about the French ban on our beef. This is untrue. In reality the opposite is the case. It is only the fact that we are members of the EU which has led to the European Commission taking action against France to ensure ithonours its obligations under the EU treaties.
Horses will no longer be able to receive anaesthetics, painkillers, ointments and vaccines likely to be unsafe for human consumption because Brussels bureaucrats have reclassified them as food animals. This is untrue. The relevant EU agreement serves merely to establish consistent "maximum residue limits" for veterinary medicinal products in foodstuffs of animal origin to protect consumers from dangerous high dosages of certain types of drugs used by vets on animals. This should not affect British horses.

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