Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent representations her Department has made to the Council of the European Union on reforming the Common Agricultural Policy.

I welcome Commissioner Hogan’s commitments to simplifying the CAP and the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has already set out her priorities to reduce red tape, in particular an immediate review of the Greening measures.

UK Ministers attend the monthly Council of European Agriculture Ministers, where we are committed to working with the European Commission and other Member States to secure the most ambitious action on CAP simplification. My officials are currently engaging with stakeholders across the UK on this agenda, and their views will be incorporated into my Department’s response to Commissioner Hogan later this month.