The RSPB has raised concerns that EU budget cuts could jeopardise spending on environmental protection and restoration. RSPB warned on Friday that current proposals could lead to funding cuts for agri-environment schemes and so hamper conservation efforts.  

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Budget proposals by Cyprus and European Council president Herman Van Rompuy, which have been released over the past two weeks, would cut farm spending but remove the cap for payments to Europe’s richest farmers and landowners. This combined with cuts to Cohesion funding (aimed at addressing the gap between rich Western states and Europe's newer entrants) has led to widespread criticism of the proposals.

The new proposals seek a further 9 percent cut to (pillar two) rural development funding, on top of ten percent cuts delivered in the European Commission’s proposals. RSPB pointed out that this "compares unfavourably" to a proposed five percent increase on Commission cuts to direct support payments (delivered under pillar one).

An RSPB survey of farmers in the UK revealed that 96 percent believe environmental work on their farms would be hit if payments for wildlife-friendly farming were slashed in discussions next week. The European council will meet in Brussels on Thursday and Friday (22nd-23rd November) to negotiate the 2014-2020 budget.

RSPB said on Friday (16th November), that in addition to helping safeguard some of the UK's most iconic wildlife and habitats, payments under agri-environment schemes also help maintain the financial viability of some farm businesses; 71 percent of farmers said that agri-environment scheme payments were 'very' or 'fairly' important to their business.

Andrew Brodie from Manor Farm in Lower Dean, Huntingdon has been in agri-environment schemes for 7 years, and is concerned they may be cut. He said, "I really fear that all the hard work from all the wildlife-friendly farmers across the country will be totally undone if Europe cuts this funding. Farmers like me won't be able to afford to continue all the environmental work they do on their land and nature will suffer as a consequence. I hope Mr Cameron takes notice before next week's meeting or it’ll be too late."

Martin Harper, RSPB's Director of Conservation, also commented, "It is outrageous news that President van Rompuy is asking EU leaders to cut the largest single budget for wildlife conservation in the UK. We wanted to know what cuts to this budget might mean for wildlife friendly farmers and I think the results of this survey are loud and clear – it would be a disaster.

"These payments provide excellent value for tax payers' money by delivering benefits for rural communities and wildlife - but they are an easy target when it comes to cutting budgets. Once again our environment is set to suffer for the sake of short term political convenience."

Although the UK government has backed calls for greater flexibility in CAP spending, including a proposal to allow an optional transfer of 20 percent of pillar one funding to pillar two, this move has also been subject to criticism. Council President Van Rompuy's draft includes an optional 15 percent margin for transferring funds between pillars one and two.

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