Innovation in EU agriculture

The European Union Committee strongly urges the EU to consider three main areas in the current debate about the future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and innovation policy. Firstly, the European Commission must significantly increase investment in scientific research in the agricultural sector by reducing the proportion of funding devoted to the CAP and diverting it to agricultural research by the EU's Research Programme; all countries must ensure that innovative knowledge is fully communicated to the agricultural sector via better farm advice systems; and finally, the 'innovation-hostile environment' (Evidence given by Mr Georg Häusler, Head of Cabinet, DG Agriculture, European Commission, Q 538) of Brussels must be overcome.

• Primary Source

United Kingdom: House of Lords: 19th Report (2010-12)HL 171 http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201012/ldselect/ldeucom/171/171.pdf

United Kingdom: UK Parliament: Parliamentary business: News, 7.7.11: EU should sow the seeds of innovation to transform agriculture urgently, say Lords http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/lords-select/eu-environment-and-agriculture-sub-committee-d/news/innovation-in-eu-agriculture-press-notice/

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