There are already measures in our livestock subsidy schemes to prevent overgrazing and environmentally damaging feeding practices and in our arable payments schemes relating to the management of set-aside land. Consultation last year on the European Commission's Agenda 2000 reforms revealed numerous suggestions of additional environmental conditions which might be attached to agricultural support payments. These need to be considered very carefully with regard to whether they would be easily understood, their ease of enforcement, the environmental benefits and the cost to farmers. Further work is being done on this. If possible measures are identified, a further round of consultation on detailed proposals would be needed before introducing them.
Information is currently available only for England.
The number of applications to the Organic Farming Scheme that passed the initial validity checks is currently 1,185. A small number of these were either withdrawn or were not accepted onto the Scheme. As at November 1999 in England there were 34,534 hectares of land converted to organic farming and 94,144 hectares in conversion. To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what EU funds have been made available to Spanish fishermen to compensate them for the loss of access to Moroccan fisheries waters. According to our information, all compensation paid so far to Spanish fishermen, available from 30 November 1999 to 31 May 2000, has come from national funds made available by the Spanish Government.