Penalties must be applied in proportionate manner - Lyon

2.47.01pm GMT Mon 22nd Feb 2010

George Lyon, Liberal Democrat MEP for Scotland, has put down amendments to the CAP Simplification Report currently going through the European Parliament's Agriculture Committee to ensure that the criteria and penalties for non-compliance are applied in a proportionate manner.

In his discussions with Scottish farmers and industry bodies, Mr Lyon has received numerous complaints that the Scottish Government has been heavy handed in its crackdown on non-compliance and disproportionate in the way it applies penalties against farmers.

Commenting, Mr Lyon said:

"These amendments call on the Commission to insist that Governments apply penalties for any transgressions on a proportional basis.

"What really annoys Scottish farmers is that the trigger for applying penalties takes no account of the size of business or the number of animals they have to register and move.

"One farmer informed me he kept a thousand head of cattle and was fined 4.5% of his single farm payment for having three incorrect passports. The penalty took no account of the size of his business or the number of cattle he moved. This is neither right nor reasonable.

"Surely it would be better to make the fine reflect the size of the business and the percentage of transgressions.

"There are many Scottish farmers who have fallen foul of the current rules. I hope that the Commission will take this on board and offer guidance to Governments that must ensure proportionality and transparency in the application of the rules and penalties."