Delors: the EU could unravel within 20 years
14 March 2007
In an interview with the IHT, former European Commission President Jacques Delors said “
‘City farmers’ making “millions” in EU subsidies trade
The Mail and the Evening Standard report that “Investors are taking millions of pounds from taxpayers by buying cheap land and claiming agricultural subsidies from the EU. The so-called 'City farmers' can make more than 30 per cent profit a year without setting foot on their land thanks to a loophole in the rules.” Open Europe Director Neil O’Brien is quoted saying, “Subsidies have effectively become completely detached from the whole business of farming. Subsidies that were supposed to be for farmers are now ending up in the hands of all kinds of people. This is the final reduction to absurdity of the regime. This is supposed to be supporting small farms - not a payment to people who have nothing to do with farming at the expense of the taxpayer. The money is ending up in the pockets of large landowners and speculators.”
In the Times Magnus Linklater has an article titled, “And from that (virtual) farm he made a pile, e-i-e-i-o”. He reports, “It is becoming big business, particularly in
He continues, “This is the ultimate absurdity — a form of “virtual” farming which reduces a once staple industry to a shabby scam. It is worse than that, of course, because it makes a mockery of the new environmentally friendly policy that is meant to govern European agriculture. It gives big farms, which already earn substantial EU grants, the opportunity to expand even further, while offering small farmers an incentive to go out of business altogether. Why try to hang on in a hill farm in
However, on Radio 4’s Farming Today George Paton from agricultural brokers Webbpaton claimed that the “image of people sitting in their armchairs reaping millions in subsidy harvest” was “not true”. He said, “They would need to make themselves a farmer... They need to have the land to unlock the cheque”. Interviewer Anna Hill asked, “If you rent out land you can sign your form saying ‘I am a farmer’ can’t you?” Paton replied, “If you are running the land to a good agricultural and environmental condition, yes”.
Hill continued, “So, if you are able to rent unproductive land, you don’t have to do much with it, and you’re not paying very much for renting it - yet you can still claim agricultural subsidy for it - in a way, you are getting subsidy for nothing”. Paton answered that, “This land needs to be agricultural land... it’s not quite as simple as this article is making out”. But he then went on to add that, “The market is exceptionally busy at the moment.”
Times Mail Farming Today Evening Standard To learn more about entitlement trading, click here
EU to spend £1 million on all-night
The Times reports that the EU will spend £1 million on an all-night rave in
Business warns against new EU “class action” proposals
According to the FT, business leaders have warned the EU against following the US lead in allowing class action lawsuits, as Brussels called for consumers to gain the right of "collective redress" against companies that rip them off or provide defective goods and services. The article notes that “The fear that Europe might adopt the litigation culture prevalent in the
Another ECJ ruling may give multinationals millions of euros in tax refunds
The FT reports that several EU-based multinational companies, including Lafarge and Volvo, might be able to claim tens of millions of euros in tax refunds from the UK Government, after the ECJ ruled that British tax rules have been unfair on companies based in other member states.
EPP to “reaffirm support for a political and united
Agence Europe reports that ahead of a debate in the European Parliament today on the Berlin Declaration, the heads of the main political groups yesterday informed the press what they expected from the Declaration. Joseph Daul, the head of the EPP group, said that the Declaration has to “demonstrate the benefits of a political and united
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Angela Merkel's cabinet is today expected to slash Germany’s top corporate tax rate to 29.8%, from 38.7%. The move will be paid for by raising VAT and widening the tax base.
Solana in landmark visit to
The Guardian reports that EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana will today visit Syria, and that Damascus is branding the talks as evidence that the country is coming in from the cold after being largely shunned by Europe since the assassination of the former Lebanese Prime Minister, Rafik al-Hariri, two years ago. Solana is expected to raise the issue of alleged Syrian arms shipments to Hizbullah.
Finnish daily Yle reports that the Centre Party has a narrow lead over the Social Democrats and Samlingspartiet, ahead of
According to a poll by Sciences Po 46% of voters in
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5 Nobel Prize winners have attacked
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The Guardian reports that the
The Government yesterday unveiled its draft Climate Change Bill. In what Tony Blair described as a “revolutionary step”, the
The Times notes that Tony Blair has sacked Sir Alistair Graham as Chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, in a move that some say is “revenge” on Sir Alistair after his criticism of Blair over the cash-for-honours affair.