Farmers urge rejection of CAP compromise

FARM leaders last night urged Agriculture Minister Joe Walsh to reject compromise proposals tabled yesterday by the Greek EU presidency on CAP.

The Irish Co-Operative Organisation Society (ICOS) described the first compromise paper introduced at a Farm Council meeting in Luxembourg as disappointing. Its president Dessie Boylan said it includes limited changes to the mid-term proposals published by EU Farm Commissioner Franz Fischler. “The proposals still involve a loss of €183m for the dairy sector because the 25% price reduction still stands. Likewise, decoupling is proposed to proceed for the crop and livestock sectors, with a delay in decoupling for milk until 2008.”

Mr Boylan said Mr Walsh must reject the compromise paper, as it fails to address Irish concerns arising from a loss in the milk sector and from decoupling.

IFA president John Dillon said he completely rejected “this new twist”, which represented the slippery slope to the re-nationalisation of the CAP and would lead to major conflict between member states.

ICMSA president Pat O’Rourke said the proposals must be rejected as they do nothing to redress the loss of €183m Irish farmers face under the mid-term review. “I am convinced a better deal can and must be achieved, even if this issue has to go to the Heads of Government meeting in Greece in 10 days time.”

Macra na Feirme president Thomas Honner said overall the document is a disappointment and it was difficult to see how it could form the basis of an accord.