CAP reform to be discussed at EU meeting

Reform of the Common Agriculture Policy is among the issues up for discussion at a key EU meeting today.

EU leaders are meeting in Brussels for the crucial two-day talks, which also have conflicts over the cost of enlargement on the agenda.

Denmark, which holds presidency of the EU, has warned that the summit will not end until a way forward is found and agreed.

Central to the talks will be reform of the Common Agricultural Policy with both France and Ireland calling for no major reform of CAP until the budget plan runs out in 2006.

EU members are demanding a phasing-in of agricultural subsidies over 10 years to new accession states, with a phasing-out of CAP for existing members.