Exclusive: Removing incentives due to replace EU scheme would leave rivers in ‘even more degraded state’
Weakening or scrapping the nature-friendly farming payment schemes could increase river pollution by up to 20%, an analysis has found.
The payments are due to replace the EU’s area-based payments scheme, in which farmers are paid for the amount of land they manage. The new system would instead pay land managers to provide “public goods” such as enhanced nature and clean rivers.