‘Funds needed for EU rural policy’

A warning that sufficient funds are needed to fund the European Union’s new rural development policy has been issued by Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel.

Some member states want to pay just 1% of GNP to fund the union while others are calling for a budget of 1.14% of GNP.

Speaking in Brussels at a meeting of the European Parliament agriculture committee, she said: “Let me be quite clear. If the ‘1% club’ get their way, then rural development will pay the price. That would deal a blow to the most forward-looking component of the CAP.”