An unpredictable experiment

THE huge Brussels experiment of supporting farmers with a social policy, instead of a farming policy, will not end with the arrival of decoupling next January.

There will be more string pulling in Brussels, and Ireland could bear the brunt of the effects, because agriculture is still relatively important here, with the countryside depending on a lot of small farms.

A far-seeing report issued last week warned that the very least which Ireland should demand from Brussels is a measured pace of movement towards an alternative EU farm policy, to ensure that Ireland's regions are not disadvantaged.