France snubs Britain on farm spending talks

Article reports that France has risked a fresh rift with the United Kingdom government, December 2009, after declining to invite it to a high-level agriculture meeting aimed at building a coalition to protect European Union farm spending.

Bruno Le Maire, France’s agriculture minister, invited counterparts from 21 EU states inclined to support a strong and well-funded common agricultural policy to the conference in Paris on the 10 December 2009.

Britain, a staunch advocate of a radical scaling back of CAP, was omitted from the list, as were Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands and Malta.

France is holding the meeting because it wants to mobilise supporters of the CAP before negotiations kick off next year about the EU’s next budgetary period from 2014 to 2020.

EurActiv, 11.12.09: France drums up support for 'ambitious' EU farm policy http://www.euractiv.com/en/cap/france-drums-support-ambitious-eu-farm-policy/article-188232

EurActiv, 27.10.09: EU farm policies to include climate 'pillar' http://www.euractiv.com/cap/eu-farm-policies-include-climate-news-222866

ESO: Background information: Next Commission to launch major EU farm, budget reform http://www.europeansources.info/record/next-commission-to-launch-major-eu-farm-budget-reform/

---