Vol. 474 No. 8
114 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the plans, if any, he has to alter the current structures of support whereby 80 per cent of EU funding is currently going to 20 per cent of farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4048/97]
The reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, which was agreed by the EU Council of Ministers in 1992, switched the emphasis from market support measures towards direct payments to producers with an element of bias in those payments in favour of smaller producers.
Changes to the CAP can be decided by the Council of Ministers only on the basis of proposals from the Commission. There are no proposals before the Council at present for significant changes in market regimes of direct interest to Ireland. I will, in the course of all future negotiations on the CAP, have particular regard to the position of small and medium-sized producers.
