§ Mr. LidingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make an assessment of the impact of the European Commission's proposals for decoupling in the unsupported crops sector. [116486]
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§ Margaret BeckettOverall, the agreement reached at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 27 June is estimated to give rise to annual net economic benefits of about euro 0.6 to 0.8 billion in the UK. The agreement does not provide for direct payments to growers for land used only for non-supported crops in the reference period. However, land needed to qualify for a direct payment under the new arrangements cannot be used to grow fruit, vegetables and table potatoes, thereby removing a potential source of additional competition that the unsupported sector was concerned would arise from the Commission's proposals.