December 9, 2009

 

UK denies snub by France over EU farm subsidy talks

 

 

The UK said Tuesday that its environment minister wasn't attending talks this week on the future of the European Union's farming subsidies because of a dairy clash, amid reports of a snub by France.

 

Representatives of 22 countries will meet in Paris on Thursday to discuss the Common Agricultural Policy, but five EU countries seen as favouring tighter curbs on the subsidies, including the UK, won't attend.

 

A spokesman for the UK's Environment Minister Hilary Benn said "he is unable to attend on Thursday due to prior diary commitments."

 

Benn would discuss the issue with French Agriculture Minister Bruno Le Maire when he visits London early next year, the spokesman said, adding that an environment ministry official would be attending the meeting in Benn's place.

 

Le Maire implied Britain hadn't been invited in an interview Tuesday with the Financial Times, saying: "It is normal that states that share the same ambition for the CAP can come together to reflect on its future."

 

He said London would be "welcome to discuss" the meeting's conclusions.

 

The UK spokesman said it was important that the debate over the future of the CAP and its 2013 budget "involves all member states and the Commission" at what was "a time of challenge and change."

 

"The UK is clear that we need a wide-ranging and in-depth discussion on future CAP to ensure farmers are prepared for the future, and we look forward to continuing discussions with all E.U. member states," he said.

 

The European Commission has proposed to make radical cuts in the money spent on agriculture, which traditionally takes up the lion's share of its budget, and France has pledged to take the lead in defending a "strong" CAP.

 

France, the EU's biggest agricultural producer, received EUR10 billion (US$14.72 billion) under the CAP last year, by far the biggest beneficiary. The UK receives less than half that figure.

 

US$1 = EUR0.67 (Dec 9)