Those with €150k-plus income will have farm payments capped

Farmers receiving over €150,000 a year from the EU in farm payments are likely to have the sums capped in future under a new deal negotiated between the European Parliament and member states.

Disputes between members of the parliament and the EU states had threatened to hold up a decision on the Common Agriculture Policy reforms, requiring them to go to a second reading in the parliament that could well drag on into next year.

Such a delay, if it extended into next month, would have also threatened payments to farmers, especially those in receipt of rural development funds, Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Ciolos warned this week.