Agricultural policy - Revolution in the farmyard
Despite benefiting handsomely from membership of the EU club, farmers are regarded as whingeing at every edict emanating from Brussels, often with good reason.
However, with far reaching reforms now looming, it is difficult not to sympathise with the people staring at fundamental transformation of their livelihoods.
Money goes to the heart of the crisis. Aid flowing to farmers now amounts to half the EU's massive budget of 80 billion, the measures unveiled by Agriculture Commissioner Franz Fischlerare calculated to appease larger member states no longer willing to pay out such amounts.
Originally, introduced in the aftermath of the Second World War, the CAP was founded on a policy of making Europe self-sufficient in food production. Today it is widely criticised by consumers who blame farmers for environmental destruction and excessive food prices.
Farmers across Europe are fearful of income cuts as the EU seeks to bring an end to a system involving a bewildering array of payments based on the number of livestock or the amount of land under cultivation.
Effectively, the reforms are designed to terminate links between subsidies paid to farmers and the amount of food they produce. In future, they will get a single subsidy based on past income, with payments diminishing over time.
Not surprisingly, the IFA, the country's biggest farming body, has criticised the Fischler plan, estimating it will cost Irish farming 300 million annually. They also fear that as headage payments dwindle, the output of calves will fall with a domino effect on the beef industry, hitting factories, threatening jobs and putting traditional livestock farmers out of business.
Both Irish and French farmers believe it is unfair to revisit the CAP issue so soon. A reform package was agreed only three years ago.
On a positive note, the Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association, have welcomed no longer having to fill in the cumbersome documentation required under the headage system by EU bureaucracy.
Consumers stand to gain significantly as the flow of aid is increasingly linked with environmental and food safety projects. Effectively, by meshing farm supports to rural development, environmental initiatives, plus improvements to food hygiene, the onus will be on farmers to perform better.
In the typical jargon of Brussels, a process of so called modulation will see a gradual shift as money is paid to farmers in a more targeted way. Amounting to around 20% of agri aid over the next few years, it will involve tens of millions of euros. It is in their own interest for Irish farmers to ensure this money is ring fenced so they benefit directly from such EU projects.
In this context, Agriculture Minister Joe Walsh will have a major role to play in guaranteeing the money is earmarked for tailor made Irish schemes and not siphoned off the other parts of Europe. Similarly, the farming bodies must ensure their members are geared to attract money under the new system.
As member states prepare for cut throat negotiations to carve up a dwindling EU cake, the Government faces an uphill battle in safeguarding the interests of farmers.
