Britain and Poland have called for radical reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), ahead of the European Commission’s publication of proposals for change.

The two countries share ambitious plans for reform, centred on a more competitive agriculture sector and better incentives to improve the environment.

The UK wants farm production subsidies to be reduced in the new CAP to create a more competitive farming industry that is not reliant on any direct subsidies. This will require a process of transition towards better returns from the market, with any remaining CAP funds rewarding farmers for the valuable benefits they provide – for wildlife, people and the landscape.

UK Agriculture Minister Jim Paice and Polish Agriculture Minister Marek Sawicki issued a joint statement following an EU agriculture meeting in Brussels. The statement called for modernisation of European agriculture to meet the challenges of the future rather than a system that protects outdated practices of the past.

The UK has been engaging with other Member States in the run up to the Commission publishing its proposals on the future of the CAP between 2014 and 2020, which are expected to appear in October this year.