One would wonder what the election of Nicolas Sarkozy has to do with anything in the mushroom world. Not a lot Stalker is sure.
However, it does seem that agricultural pundits think that Ireland can expect less French support for farm spending under the new French president. Department of agriculture sources have apparently described the outcome of the French elections and the proposed new EU budget as a landmark weekend for Irish agriculture.
The new conservative president is expected to be less supportive if the CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) than outgoing president Jacques Chirac. The EU will spend more on modernising the Union’s economy than on agriculture for the first time. Spending next year goes up 2per cent to Euro 129.2 billion, with 57.2 billion going towards boosting economic growth in research, transport networks, training and regional aid. The sums involved are pretty staggering!
The farm spending level proposed by the European Commission will be €56.3 billion, which puts the agriculture budget in second place for the first time since the CAP was established decades ago.
Under Chirac France had a strong pro-Cap stance. In the new reign of Sarkozy Ireland can expect less support in agriculture matters.
It's all going to be a bit more comme ci, come ca from now on, it would appear.
