Vol. 569 No. 4
122 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if his Department has undertaken an assessment of the implications for rural development of the current mid-term review of the Common Agricultural Policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17763/03]
Negotiations on the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy are the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Agriculture and Food. He agrees with the broad thrust of the Commission's proposals under the mid-term review of Agenda 2000, in so far as rural development is concerned, which is to extend the range of on-farm rural development measures to promote food quality, meet higher standards and foster animal welfare. However, the Commission is also proposing to introduce a system of modulation, which would reduce direct payments to farmers receiving over €5,000 a year to provide additional funds for such rural development. There is an intrinsic contradiction in this proposal to reduce farmers incomes, which will be damaging the economies of rural areas in order to provide funds for certain rural development measures. My colleague has made his overall opposition to the proposals clear in the Council of Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers and his objective in the negotiations is to preserve the benefits to Irish agriculture and to rural communities achieved under the Agenda 2000 agreement.
