Farmers told grants at risk over Lisbon vote
Wednesday November 12 2008
THE 'No' vote to the Lisbon Treaty may result in EU grants for farmers being lost, Foreign Affairs Minister Micheal Martin warned yesterday.
Irish negotiators are facing the launch of an EU budget review this week, including the €1.7bn paid annually to Irish farmers under the Common Agricultural Programme (CAP).
Mr Martin said while the State had previously punched above its weight in EU negotiations, there was now a "real risk" that it would not be able to secure the necessary CAP funding for farmers beyond 2013.
"I would worry about our negotiating strength," he said.
At the Oireachtas Lisbon sub-committee, Mr Martin pointed out that many EU countries, such as Britain, were pushing to reduce the size of the €130bn CAP budget, which accounts for 40pc of EU spending.
Mr Martin told Fine Gael TD Billy Timmins that being at the heart of Europe was the best way of developing strong alliances to support Irish farmers and Irish farm incomes.
Fight
The Government is resisting moves to make any change to CAP payments in the EU's 2007-2013 budget, and will fight proposals to phase out or cut direct subsidy payments to farmers and price-support mechanisms after 2013.
Mr Martin painted a positive picture of the EU's influence, citing the strength of the euro in the global financial crisis, and the involvement of European police forces in last week's record €500m cocaine seizure off the coast of Cork.
But he then became involved in a row with Sinn Fein MEP Mary Lou McDonald, who criticised his "disingenuous" claim that the Lisbon Treaty could not be renegotiated and his "verging on the dishonest" assertion that foreign direct investment had been affected.
But Mr Martin responded by saying it was "deeply dishonest" to claim renegotiation was possible, when all other member states had ruled out this option.
Taoiseach Brian Cowen is due to give an outline of a solution -- which may involve a second referendum -- at the EU Council meeting next month.
- Michael Brennan
