Taoiseach defends CAP against reformers
01/09/2005 - 16:23:10Bertie Ahern came to the defence of Europe's Common Agricultural Policy this afternoon.
CAP reform has been made a priority by Tony Blair's government, which holds the EU presidency.
The UK and Sweden are unhappy that 46% of the EU's budget is set aside for aid to farmers.
Speaking in Co Kilkenny this afternoon however, the Taoiseach said that calls for CAP reform were misplaced: "Those who have been anti-CAP have had a free run for too long. They have fed misinformation into the argument at European level, but it hasn't been a fair argument for agriculture.
"CAP has been reformed. Farmers have moved with the times.”
