European chiefs have told British farmers to tear up hedgerows full of wildlife – because they are too wide.
(The Mirror, 13 March 2000, p17)
Farmers have categorically not been told to “tear up” hedgerows. Under the Common Agricultural Policy, aid payments are made on the basis of area. The existing Regulation appeared to provide an incentive for farmers to turn hedgerow into field area. Concern for the consequent wildlife implications led the Commission and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to agree that existing rules should continue to apply.

Now, however, the Commission has announced a proposal stating that hedgerows, traditionally part of good agricultural cropping and utilisation practices, which are up to 2 metres wide, can be considered as eligible for aid. Under certain other conditions, hedges wider than two metres could also be eligible in view of specific environmental needs.

Myth: New EU rules are preventing human medicines being used on both farms and domestic animals, unless they are spearately tested for animal use – thereby forcing up the price of animal medicines by up to 1,000 per cent and putting the lives of animals in peril.
Source: BB1 ‘Watchdog’ (27 February 1995), Daily Mail (20 March 1995, p.23) 

Truth: The relevant EU Directive*, which came into force in the UK on 1 January 1995, seeks to improve consumer protection and animal health care.

It seeks to protect consumers by ensuring that the appropriate medicinal products are authorised when used in specific meat and dairy products. Furthermore it reinforces this measure by outlining minimum withdrawal periods (being the time between any medicine being administered and its placing on the market) so that harmful residues do not reach the consumer. This is 7 days for eggs and milk, 28 days for meat and poultry …

Myth: The price of a bag of chips is set to soar due to the rocketing cost of potatoes. A universally poor potato crop throughout Europe, combined with EU rules, has meant that continentals are able to grab British stocks, forcing up the price immensely.
Source: The Sun (18th January 1995)

Response: The fact that the potato has suffered a bad season and stocks are being brought up
by others keen to supplement their own ailing markets has nothing to do with the EU, its Common Agricultural Policy nor the Single Market. Indeed there is no Common Market Organisation in the field of potatoes, thus the EU has no powers to regulate the market. The fact that traders from continental Europe are buying British potatoes, at a higher price than normal, is their way of dealing with an unusually poor crop.

Myth: EC spending on agriculture is out of control, with subsidies having risen by some 6% from 1991 to 1992 when in fact they were supposed to have fallen. It is, furthermore, subject to fraud on an unprecedented scale.

Truth: In fact, EC subsidies in agriculture were lowered by 7% (in terms of ECU) for the above period. However, with sterling’s devaluation this figure was translated into a 6% rise in pounds sterling.

It has to be borne in mind that the detection of fraud is principally up to the Member States’ national authorities rather than the European Commission.

Myth: New rules from the European Commission governing the running of the EC’s Common Agricultural Policy stipulate that farmers wishing to claim set-aside must mow their land before July 1 or return those fields to cultivation immmediately. The former will result in the massacre of wild birds, game, fawns and flora; and there is little incentive for farmers to delay mowing.

Response: This ought not be the case. There are two pieces of EC legislation which have a bearing in this field, the first of which deals with the set aside system, the second with its actual implementation, which the Member States are left to conduct under a general EC framework.

1.) Council Directive OJ L181, 1.7.1992 establishes a support system for producers of certain arable crops (especially cereals) which will come into effect from the marketing year 1993/1994 onwards. These producers are required to set aside 15% of their land, subject …

Statement: New rules from the European Commission governing the running of the EC’s Common Agricultural Policy stipulate that farmers wishing to claim set-aside must mow their land before July 1 or return those fields to cultivation immmediately. The former will result in the massacre of wild birds, game, fawns and flora; and there is little incentive for farmers to delay mowing.

Response: This ought not be the case. There are two pieces of EC legislation which have a bearing in this field, the first of which deals with the set aside system, the second with its actual implementation, which the Member States are left to conduct under a general EC framework.

1.) Council Directive OJ L181, 1.7.1992 establishes a support system for producers of certain arable crops (especially cereals) which will come into effect from the marketing year 1993/1994 onwards. These producers are required to set aside 15% of their land, subject to rotation …