Brussels protest: Relax subsidy checks to speed up payments, says Truss
This has RBI copyright. Taken by Johann Defra secretary Liz Truss has called on Brussels to relax subsidy checks so farmers can receive their Basic Payments as soon as possible.
Speaking to journalists in Brussels, Ms Truss said farmers needed help with the cashflow problems they were facing – as well as problems paying bills.
“I want to make sure we are able to pay Basic Payments as promptly as possible,” she said.
Ms Truss said she and other European agriculture ministers would be arguing that payments should be made as soon as possible when the window opens on 1 December.
See also: Live – British farmers join mass protest in Brussels
She was speaking as farmers from across Europe descended on Brussels for a day of action on Monday (7 September) to highlight the price slump that has engulfed the industry.
Up to 6,000 farmers are taking part in the protest, according to estimates from the European umbrella farm body Copa-Cogeca, which organised the demonstration.
The protest is being held to demand EU action ahead of an emergency council meeting of European agriculture ministers which is taking place in the city on the same day.
Farm leaders from the NFU, NFU Cymru, NFU Scotland and the Ulster Farmers’ Union met government ministers from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland before the meeting.
Speaking afterwards, Ms Truss said the system of checks needed changing.
“At the moment we have to inspect every farmer before we make a single payment, she explained.”
If this process was relaxed, payments could be made sooner after the window opened for Basic Payments on 1 December.