Issue link: https://htpgraphics.uberflip.com/i/464860
7 AGRICULTURE EDITION REVIEW OF THE YEAR | The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is a centrepiece policy within the EU's food production. With an annual budget in the region of £50 billion, it accounts for about 40% of the 28-nation bloc's budget. In recent years, the number of member state nations has expanded markedly, prompting a rethink on how the money is allocated to the region's farmers. A major component of the reforms focused on shifting the CAP towards environmental stewardship and away controlled the disease in the cull area but resulted in increased bovine TB in surrounding areas. However, the coalition government indicated that a badger cull would be introduced as part of TB control measures. Following a period of public consultation, ministers announced that it would go ahead with a trial in two areas: West Gloucestershire and West Somerset. Initially planned for autumn 2012, the trial culls were postponed after farming representatives voiced concerns. But a number of farmers who had to destroy cattle after the animals tested positive for the disease said they were contemplating quitting farming because they felt it was pointless restocking their herds while the risk of infection from wildlife remained unchecked. In August 2013, culling finally began. The six-week cull period was extended after marksmen failed to meet the 70% target. Despite this, in both areas the cull still failed to kill enough badgers to achieve the targets. After the results of the trial culls were published, Mr Paterson said that the 'badgers moved the goalposts' when asked why marksmen had failed to reach a cull target. His comments were widely reported and seized upon by opponents to the cull and satirists. The pilot culls were criticised in the House of Lords. Crossbench Peer Lord Robert May, former president of the Royal Society, observed: 'This cull went ahead against the balance of advice from the scientific community, in particular that a limited experiment such as this was unlikely to yield much in the way of useful information.' Queen guitarist Brian May, a leading opponent of the cull, branded the approach an 'utter failure' and described the application for an extension as a 'farce'. Despite the setbacks in the first year of pilot culls, Mr Paterson used a Commons speech in April 2014 to say that the pilot culls would continue, as doing nothing was 'not an option'. He told MPs: 'The four-year culls in Gloucestershire and Somerset are pilots, and we always said we would learn lessons from them. It is crucial we get this right.' He added that he was keen to develop new techniques to support the strategy of making England bovine-TB-free. Brian May branded the cull an 'utter failure' Common agricultural policy