UK Government. In a letter to MPs and Xxxxx, Xxxx Xxxxxxxx explained the outcome of the agreement and the UK’s current position. He said:9 Overall it is an acceptable outcome for the UK, even though it is not the genuine reform we had hoped for. We have fought to secure a CAP package that is much better than the original proposals. It is thanks to the UK working with its allies that we have stopped a whole raft of regressive proposals being adopted that would harm UK farmers. He also set the tone for the UK’s overall approach to farming policy: I want to see a competitive and sustainable farming industry, one that suffers less red-tape, takes advantage of new export opportunities and is less reliant on subsidy. We have fought hard to maintain the direction of reform, and to resist market distortions being introduced into the CAP through production-linked payments or protectionist measures in other Member States, Farming in the UK has generally supported the move away from payments coupled to production over the last decade, and we will be vigilant in ensuring that it benefits from export opportunities across the EU single market. We will continue to resist unnecessary interference in farm business decisions. The Secretary of State has also acknowledged that some aspects of the new CAP are more complicated than those that they replace. He has said that where the UK has domestic implementation choices it will consider "simplicity, affordability and effectiveness".10 He has indicated that he will seek views on how best to implement CAP reform so that it is simple for farmers as part of the new red tape challenge review for the farming and forestry sector.11
