An interesting editorial in the Guardian shows us the paradoxes of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP): Some examples of individuals who received lavish subsidies from the EU are staggering.
Here are the most "interesting": Martinique Rhum Saint James the company produces a decent range of drinks on an island 4000 km from France, which did not prevent him receiving last year, more than one million euro in agricultural subsidies. In the list of the 174 that receive aid from French millionaire also appear several producers of bananas. Elsewhere, smaller amounts went to a Swedish club accordion, a Danish pool, the 26 year old daughter of former Bulgarian Minister of Agriculture (which has grossed more than 700,000 euro), Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (almost one hundred thousand euro) .
Everyone agrees that the Common Agricultural Policy, which costs € 50 billion a year, so as it does not work. Publicly, all promising reform. In private, however, are hunting because they can draw from. The result is an economic and environmental disaster. Small farmers struggle to survive, as evidenced by the report of December 2009 on mountain, while large agrarian societies share the proceeds of the CAP, in particular the producers of sugar. These are all among the biggest beneficiaries: 144 000 000 French St Louis Sugar and 42.9 million by the German Südzucker.
These anomalies are blown into the limelight thanks to the work of a small organization (farmsubsidy.org), which has hidden data recovered from the 27 EU governments and made available to them online. The result on the one hand strengthens the cause of those who say that the CAP must be eliminated, the other confirms it is impossible to do so. Too many people benefit because it will reach an agreement to change this state of affairs. Jose Manuel Barroso, European Commission president, had promised to reform "without taboos or restrictions." Last year was presented a draft that represented a retreat from a real change. It was too early to "determine the boundaries or the exact intentions of future reforms," \u200b\u200bthe document concluded. Ultimately, the governments of member states are not strong enough to resist vested interests.
We just have to wait in the reform of 2013, but the prospects are not rosy.
Luca Bernardini, Slow food
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