Attempts to further water down the health check of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) will not reduce the amount of taxpayers’ money being ploughed into agriculture subsidies, says Welsh MEP Jonathan Evans.

Mr Evans criticised the British government for failing to engage in the negotiations on the CAP health check, which has enabled several European governments to stall reform.

The health check is the first overhaul of the CAP since the introduction of the single payment scheme in 2003/4. It seeks to update and simplify the scheme, adapting the CAP to new challenges like food security.

But Mr Evans says the proposals from the European Commission are far too weak.

He said: “The health check could have made some important changes to adapt the CAP to the current food crisis and the modern challenges facing agriculture. Rather than taking the CAP forward into the 21st century, we risk turning back the clock towards more coupled payments and a smaller share of the CAP going towards environmental schemes.”

“The CAP should create a market-based level playing field for farmers, encourage the production of crops for food, and support our rural areas. There can be no going back to the old system.”