EU ministers entrenched in fight over farm reformEU farm ministers dug theirheels today in discussions over the proposed radical reform of farming in the union, as Francemarshalled a broad coalition, including Ireland, to oppose the sweepingsubsidy cuts.
Meeting for the first time since the European Commission'srevised blueprint on farm reform was unveiled last week, the 15ministers once again exposed the rift that has split them forthe last six months - and were blunt in many of their views.
Central to EU Commissioner Mr Franz Fischler's proposed reform package - announced last week - is the breaking of the historic link between direct payments and production, something Irish analysts say will devastate the beef industry here.
The farm organisations claim the so-called "decoupling" proposal for beef would cost the economy €300 million in lost exports, and the meat-processing industry claimed the move would cost 2,500 jobs and export losses of €500 million.
Opinions ranged from broadly welcoming but withreservations to bitterly opposed, with the most scathingcriticism for the Commission's latest plans coming fromIreland, Spain and France.
Agriculture Minister Mr Joe Walsh blasteddecoupling, citing fears of depopulation of livestock herds andthe resulting socio-economic consequences. Several other memberstates, including France and Italy, echoed his concern.
"I am not prepared to contemplate the damage to thelivelihoods of Irish farm families and the economic and socialhealth of Irish rural areas implicit in these proposals. I seeno course of action other than to reject them," he said.
"I believe these proposals are not necessary. . . they areinternally contradictory, cost money that we don't have and areincorrectly timed," he added.
Walsh said decoupling would cause a 12 per cent fall inIrish beef production, far higher than the EU average of threepercent as forecast by the European Commission.
"We have to be aware of the disastrous consequences thatdecoupling would have on our outermost regions. I regret thatthe Commission is sticking to its original proposals," saidFrench Agriculture Minister Mr Herve Gaymard.
"What we have before us is a very risky proposal. Myoverall assessment ... is that I am very disappointed and verynegative," said Spain's Agriculture Minister Mr Miguel AriasCanete.
"The Commission has come up with some proposals that wecannot accept. They go too far ... and weaken the alreadyfragile credibility of the CAP," he said in a televised publicdebate.
Member states' views have not really changed since lastJuly when European Farm Commissioner Franz Fischler firstpresented his ideas on reforming the Common Agricultural Policy(CAP).
The ministers remain evenly split between those staunchlyagainst the scale of reform envisaged and those keen to agreesweeping change before 10 new member states join the EU in2004.