division_name: Mid-Term Review of the Common Agricultural Policy
motion: <p class="" pid=".973.3/1" pwmotiontext="yes">I beg to move,</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid=".973.3/2" pwmotiontext="yes">That this House takes note of European Union documents No. 10879/02, Commission Communication on the Mid-Term Review of the Common Agricultural Policy, No. 10896/02, Commission working document containing a report on milk quotas and No. COM (03) 23, draft Council Regulations on the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy; supports the Government's objective, to work for a sustainable Common Agricultural Policy which contributes to prosperous rural areas, enhances the natural environment, and provides high-quality, safe food and high animal welfare standards, a fair and competitive environment for farmers and better value for money for taxpayers and consumers; welcomes the European Commission's proposals on reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, in particular the proposals to decouple payments from production, to move from production-linked subsidies to wider agri-environment and rural development measures, and for further market reform, while lessening the adverse impact on trading opportunities to less-developed countries; but regrets that the proposals in several areas did not go further, that they include a complex and potentially unfair mechanism for transferring funds towards agri-environment and rural development measures and, on dairy reform, that they do not meet the requirement of the Berlin agreement that there would be a mid-term review 'with the aim of allowing the present quota arrangements to run out after 2006'.</p>
  
  <p class="" pid=".980.0/1" pwmotiontext="yes">I beg to move, To leave out from "Policy" in line 5 to the end of the Question, and to add instead thereof:</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid=".980.0/2" pwmotiontext="yes">"recognises the need for a substantial recovery in farm incomes from the present low base to a level at which UK farmers are earning sustainable and competitive returns; supports the objective of achieving prosperous rural areas, an enhanced natural environment and provision of high-quality, safe food and high animal welfare standards; welcomes the European Commission's appreciation of the need to reform the Common Agricultural Policy, which absorbs half the EU budget, and recalls Government failures in this regard; further welcomes the proposals to decouple payments from production, and for further market reform; but has deep reservations about the effects of the current proposals on UK agriculture and recognises that the British people are increasingly hostile to a system that penalises both UK taxpayers and farmers; believes that dairy regime reform should provide greater opportunity for the UK dairy sector to add value to their product through producer-based processing; notes that the Commission proposals involve a potentially unfair mechanism for transferring funds towards agri-environmental and rural development measures; and urges the Government to use all the means at its disposal to ensure that these proposals are redrafted in the interests of UK farmers and consumers."</p>
  
  <p pid=".996.2/1" pwmotiontext="yes"><i>Question put,</i> That the amendment be made:&#8212;</p>
  
  <p pid=".996.2/2" pwmotiontext="yes"><i>The House divided:</i> Ayes 141, Noes 258.</p>