Letter to the Editor: Diverting EU budget to fund military capabilities
As negotiations continue to devise the first post-Brexit EU budget — there is much talk about the cuts to CAP payments to farmers in Ireland and elsewhere.
Some of the reasons given for these cuts are so that monies can be diverted towards tackling climate change and reducing carbon. Paying farmers to help conserve the rural environment and to move through a just transition appears to be a laudable objective. However, it is also reported that some of the CAP budget will be diverted to build up Europe’s military capability — in other words to move money from food to weapons.
And if the EU is serious about tackling climate change then surely, developing more weapons and preparing for war — one of the greatest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions — is not the direction to go.
And what is the Irish Government’s view on this choice of priorities? Well, they seem quite happy with it — if we are to judge by their stony silence.
Let’s hope farmers have different priorities. The world needs more broccoli and beetroot — not more bombs.
