Farming escapes limbo with the CAP reform agreement

It will be 2015 before farmers feel the effects of last week’s agreement on reform of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy. But without that agreement, the EU’s farming and food industry could have been in limbo until 2016.

José Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission, has thanked Taoiseach Enda Kenny, and congratulated him for “excellent co-operation” and “impressive work and results” during Ireland’s six-month presidency of the council of Europe — despite the Anglo tapes, which Mr Kenny said had undermined Ireland’s reputation and damaged democracy (the verdict, also, of German chancellor, Angela Merkel).

Mr Barroso said none of the deals made during the Irish presidency were more important than last week’s agreement on the seven-year EU budget, but he made special mention of the Common Agricultural and Fisheries Policy agreements brokered by Simon Coveney.