(EU-policies; 06-03; p.3)
A better agriculture?
Least of the Germans care about agro-politics;
this is why negotiations on the EU-level are perceived as arcane
meetings of lobbyists. Still, the Common Agricultural Policy of
the EU, notorious for subsidising the agro-industry, perhaps has
changed fundamentally under the tenure of commissioner Franz
Fischler.
The already limited resources of the community
- still accounting for about a half of its budget - this way shall
no longer be distributed according to production figures alone:
instead, direct payments for farmers are envisaged which in turn
are linked to standards of production and animal welfare. Besides,
member states may redirect resources for the improvement of countryside
regions.
The effects of the changes, agreed on on 26
June, but completely put into force not before 2007, for the agricultural
sector and consequently for the then expanded EU remain to be
seen.
(end of article)