CAP attack was not out of context

JOHN McGURK of Libertas was on Morning Ireland (April 28) defending Declan Ganley of the anti-Lisbon treaty group Libertas who described the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) as a “weapon of mass destruction”.

Mr McGurk claimed Mr Ganley’s comments were “taken ridiculously out of context” and, in fact, that Mr Ganley wanted to reform the CAP so that small farmers from the west of Ireland could get the most from it.

I beg to differ. For the record, Mr Ganley wrote an article for the American Foreign Policy Institute, entitled ‘Europe’s direction? A Voice from Ireland’ on March 11, 2003 in which he attacked the CAP and made the following points:

— One of the biggest weapons of mass destruction being detonated in these times is the CAP which is the cause of thousands of deaths around the world.

— EU rules still impose ridiculous and amoral barriers to trade.

— Europe is operating highly inefficient CAP structures.

— The EU decision to spend nearly half of its budget on the CAP is a mindless one.

Contrary to Mr McGurk’s comments, these statements hardly tally up with the Libertas defence that it wants to reform the CAP so that the small farmers in the west can get maximum benefit from it.

Considering that Libertas wants to abolish the CAP and open up Europe’s trading rules to full competition, I’m surprised they’re calling on Irish farmers to vote no because of Peter Mandelson’s negotiating strategy at the WTO. Political campaigns invariably bring out some very unusual strategies so votes can be won — don’t they just!

Frank Fortune

Secretary

Fianna Fáil Ógra

Limerick East

Ennis Road

Limerick