CAP budget faces delay, meaning cut to fund could be postponed

The adoption of a new EU farm budget may slip back by a year and could mean postponing a possible reduction to the €55bn annual farm subsidy plan, Italy’s farm minister Mario Catania said.

The eurozone debt crisis has led to calls to cut spending in the farm subsidy bill. Though no decision has yet been made, some countries already back a small percentage cut.

The risk of a delay stems from the fact that the bloc’s overall seven-year spending package is not likely to be completed until January or February, Mr Catania said on Tuesday.