Freshwater Policy
Farming representatives give evidence to Lords Freshwater Inquiry
22 November 2011
Representatives from the National Farmers Union (NFU) and NFU Scotland were quizzed by the Lords Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment EU Sub-Committee on Wednesday 23 November, as part of their inquiry into EU freshwater policy.
Andrew Clark, Head of Policy Services, NFU, and Gwyn Jones, Vice President of the NFU were questioned on a number of issues including:
- what efforts should be made by agriculture to tackle diffuse pollution of watercourses (for example, from the use of fertiliser)
- whether effective water management principles have been adequately recognised in the October 2012 proposals for CAP reform;
- their concerns about previous policy and what they would like to see changed; and
- how far the implementation of 'cost-effective' changes to current agricultural practices will address the spread of pollution.
The evidence session took place at 11am in Committee Room 3A of the House of Lords.