A Legal Perspective on the Value of Scotland's EU Membership for the Agro Environment

This submission provides legal evidence in support of a positive evaluation of Scotland’s EU membership, in the form of an assessment of the EU’s regime for sustainable agriculture and an assessment of the possible impacts of ‘Brexit’ on the agro environment. Agriculture-focussed Brexit-discussions have emphasised the social and economic worth of the UK and Scotland’s EU membership for the countryside. However, with farmers acting as custodians to around 80% of Scotland’s land surface, their management decisions are of great significance to the state and future of Scotland’s natural heritage. Questions regarding the role of law in fostering and impeding agro environmental stewardship should thus be a part of Scotland’s debates on Brexit and its impacts.