EU states oppose plans to end farm ‘subsidy millionaires’

A majority of EU governments agreed at a meeting of EU farm minister in Brussels, 17 March 2011, to a gradual redistribution of farm payments from older to newer member states, but few support the idea of limiting payments to the bloc's wealthiest farmers.

Debate centered around the European Commission's non-legislative communication on reforming the bloc's common agricultural policy (CAP), published on November 2010, with eastern member states pushing for a fairer distribution of direct payments to farmers.

Payments are currently calculated using a 'historical' stocking formula, which sees them range from over €500 per hectare in Greece to less than €100 in Latvia.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: The common agricultural policy after 2013 http://www.europeansources.info/record/the-history-of-the-common-agricultural-policy/

ESO: Background information: Website: Reform the CAP. Harvest a better Europe! http://www.europeansources.info/record/website-reform-the-cap-harvest-a-better-europe/

ESO: Information Guide: Common Agricultural Policy http://www.europeansources.info/record/information-guide-common-agricultural-policy/

ESO: Background information: Website: Single farm payment http://www.europeansources.info/record/website-single-farm-payment/

EurActiv, 18.3.11: Reformers left isolated in EU farm policy debate http://www.euractiv.com/cap/jack-story-news-497913

Council of the European Union: Presidency conclusions on the communication from the Commission: The CAP towards 2020: meeting the food, natural resources and territorial challenges of the future http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/agricult/120009.pdf

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