Wake up to who really benefits from subsidies
The EU as we now know it started as consequences of the European Coal and Steel Pact with France and Germany, then we had The Treaty of Rome, and the three pillars of this agreement were the free movement of goods, capital, and labour. The consumers of this country availed of these pillars, often after long court battles as a result of fierce opposition from vested interests.
CAP arrived in an attempt to regulate the agriculture market, and underwent many changes as a result of scandals associated with this subsidy-laden policy, beef mountains, cheese and butter mountains, wine lakes, apple and fruit orchards put to the plough, and many more agriculture disasters all funded by consumers to ensure the producer was protected. This brought the quota system, which saw some farmers/landowners get a guaranteed income for their production and left others without or unable to get access. This was unfair depending on which side of the fence the landowner stood. While this was in operation the environment was damaged due to stocking grants and their associated scandals, all paid for by the consumer. Subsidies will, by their nature, be abused and will all ways require strict supervision (cross compliance) and those who pay (the consumer) are entitled to know where their money is going.
John wants the consumer to be grateful to give their hard-earned money to support farmers/landowners to produce a product which is often over priced by EU standards. Well-travelled Irish consumers can and do make this comparison and it is not a glib remark — it is a fact.
John has also signalled their next item on the agenda is the payment of this subsidy to a certain category of landowner. Who will be the arbiter of this? He forgets the money is provided by the consumer/taxpayer, (god forbid they may want a say in it) and not by the recipients of taxpayers’ largesse.
John is aware recent entrants to the EU were not as fortunate as the original group as consumers/taxpayers’ patience ran out with this subsidy-laden policy thanks to the UK and others.
If John has any doubts about the real beneficiaries of these subsidies all he has to do is attend any land sale and see who is bidding — it is not an urban consumer. Please John do not treat us like children and tell us the medicine is nice to take. I remain a compliant consumer at this time anyway.
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