WITH their memories of the Galway racing festival fading, Irish politicians are now studying the form for the European Commission festival.

THE LOSS of premium payments attached to land sold this year is the latest possibility emerging from the confusion surrounding CAP reform in Brussels.

FRANS FISCHLER'S CAP reform moves have been provocative to say the least. Apart from the serious implications for Irish agriculture, the initiative has raised debate about the nature of farm production in Europe and its relationship to the broader environment.