Vol. 415 No. 1
163 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if the basis of agricultural supports in the Commissioner MacSharry plan in favour of small and less intensive systems of production is likely to have any adverse effect on the long term international competitiveness of European farming.
The whole thrust of the EC Commission proposals for Common Agricultural Policy reform is to make Community agriculture products more competitive in the international context while bringing markets back into balance and achieving a better distribution of support among farmers. This is to be done by reducing guaranteed prices and controlling production while, at the same time, providing compensation to farmers by way of direct payments. The EC Commission view is that the larger scale and more intensive farmers are now in a position to compete even with reduced support and this is reflected in the modulation of the proposed compensation. I cannot accept the EC Commission proposals as they stand and I am pressing for adjustments to ensure they do not have adverse effects on the long term competitiveness of Community farming.
