EU farm ministers in second day of CAP talks

Today marks a second day of talks by EU farm ministers in Luxembourg regarding reforms of the common agricultural policy.

Ministers will hold one-to-one meetings with farm commissioner Franz Fischler, following a rejection yesterday by ministers of a Greek compromise proposal.

The main issue of the talks - decoupling of subsidies to farmers from the quantity of food produced - was not mentioned by the Greek document.

Irish minister Joe Walsh said it made minimal changes to the plan already tabled by Commissioner Fischler, and he wanted to see substantial change.

IFA president John Dillon warned that the proposals were "a slippery slope to re-nationalisation of the CAP, which would lead to major conflict between member states".