EU farm commissioner urges long-term plan

THE European Union has been urged by Farm Commissioner Franz Fischler to seize the opportunity to build a strong Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) before it is too late.

Speaking at a Brussels conference, he said last week's deal on financing opens the way for EU enlargement. This was good news for Europe.

He said having a clear idea of the farm budget available in the future “means a clear mandate to try and guarantee a long-term planning security for our agriculture.