Lisbon vote ‘will hit EU agriculture’

THE decision of Irish voters not to ratify the Lisbon treaty is a serious issue that has a strong bearing on agriculture, according to European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mariann Fischer Boel.

She told a conference in Italy that the European Commission was disappointed by the vote.

“An immediate consequence will be that co-decision on agriculture with the European Parliament will not be introduced on January 1, 2009,” said Ms Fischer Boel.