EU farm subsidy recipients win data ruling

The drive for more European Union transparency suffered a setback on the 9 November 2010 after a court ruled that publication of databases listing recipients of agricultural subsidies breached farmers’ human rights.

The European Court of Justice struck down EU rules that make it compulsory for EU Member States to identify all recipients of Common Agricultural Policy money, worth €56bn a year.

BBC News, 10.11.10: Farmers win privacy fight over EU funding http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11724893

ECJ: Press Release, No.110, 2010: European Union legislation on the publication of information relating to the beneficiaries of European agricultural funds is partially invalid http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=CJE/10/110&format=PDF&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

Website: Farmsubsidy.org http://farmsubsidy.org/

European Commission: DG Agriculture and Rural Development: Beneficiaries of CAP payments http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/funding/index_en.htm

EUObserver, 10.11.10: EU court finds transparency rules on farm subsidies 'disproportionate' http://euobserver.com/9/31239

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