EU Commission seeking views on CAP Reform

The_Conductor

Hi Guys,

The EU Commission are seeking end user views on CAP reform (see details and link below).

I'd encourage everyone to make their views felt- its only by voicing your views that you help shape the future direction of policy.....

Best wishes,

SMcCarrick

Invitation to participate in EU farming policy

The EU's Agricultural policy is set for reform by 2013. This does not just affect farmers or those who work in the food industry, it has implications for the environment, trade, food safety and indeed how rural areas are looked after. Everyone is concerned.

We would like to ask you a few questions that will help guide the European Commission in proposing future policy. So far over 600 submissions have been made across Europe, but only three of them are Irish (14/05/10).

The survey is only 4 questions long and takes less than 5 minutes to answer. You can check out some of the previous submissions if you want to get a flavour of what is being covered.

Remember your view is very important and this is just one opportunity to have input into one of the EU's most important policies. This part of the debate is open until the 3rd of June.

http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/cap-post-2013/debate/index_en.htm


We also invite you to debate or consider the question: What do you think the most important reform should be in the agricultural and food industry and why?

johngalway

A heads up on what questions they're asking would be good from someone who's already done the survey. It would give people a better chance to consider their answers (5 minutes, I ask you).

Thanks in advance

Tipp Man

johngalway wrote: »

A heads up on what questions they're asking would be good from someone who's already done the survey. It would give people a better chance to consider their answers (5 minutes, I ask you).

Thanks in advance

It looks like there are 4 questions to be answered, these are:

Why do we need a European common agricultural policy?
What do citizens expect from agriculture?
Why reform the CAP?
What tools do we need for the CAP of tomorrow?

You can click on the link and view it without completing it, you can also view the contributions of others from all over Europe

TalkToEU: Philippe

Apologies from the EU Commission here. It might take more than 5 minutes depending on your views and how much you want to elaborate. Overall it is quite a simple process and the more diverse opinions we can get the better the Commission can see what citizens really think from the start.

There will be a more detailed consultation process later and you will be able to get involved at a later stage .

It may take a day or two to upload. As of now we have 8 Irish respondents 920 across the whole of Europe.



Philippe

EU Commission Ireland

wiggy123

I entered in my six pence's worth!
jsut checked a few other farmers comments..from different countries also
we seem to be all singing form the same hymn sheet

Tora Bora

wiggy123 wrote: »

I entered in my six pence's worth!
jsut checked a few other farmers comments..from different countries also
we seem to be all singing form the same hymn sheet

You may as well have not bothered. They don't do listen to the little guy!
Post 2013, your cheque in the post will not be worth placing it strategically beside the toilet roll in your loo:eek:

Tories back in power in UK is bad. German population up in arms over bailing out PIIGS countries (Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece, Spain).

UK, not too far from default! France talking ****e and not far behind!

Money for all things ain't going to be there. :mad:

reilig

As much as I hate to, I have to agree with you Tora Bora. I just can't see it being any other way.

I wonder if anyone has any projections on the other side if subsidies are removed??
Will we see many people get out of farming and output fall which may make products more expensive and only the larger or more efficient farms survive??

Tora Bora wrote: »

You may as well have not bothered. They don't do listen to the little guy!
Post 2013, your cheque in the post will not be worth placing it strategically beside the toilet roll in your loo:eek:

Tories back in power in UK is bad. German population up in arms over bailing out PIIGS countries (Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece, Spain).

UK, not too far from default! France talking ****e and not far behind!

Money for all things ain't going to be there. :mad:

The_Conductor

The civil services of the individual governments have policy units who do present position papers to Ministers detailing the possible outcomes of various courses of actions (but ultimately of course a civil servants job is to implement government policy- not dictate it).

Views are constantly collated nationally- and are assessed when drafting position papers (all vested interests would normally be represented- in general by their representative bodies, in the case of farming by the IFA, ICMSA etc)

Its all well and good to bitch about the EU not listening to us, and there has in the past been some merit to that point of view. Personally I believe that there is a concerted effort being made to understand the viewpoints of all vested interests- in a manner that really has not happened in the past. I'd urge people to respond to the request for views with an open mind- 5 minutes isn't going to kill anyone.

The whole purpose and the manner in which the EU institutions operate has been badly misrepresented in both national and international media. It is only human to be sceptical about an organisation so far away whose actions has the potential to have far reaching effects in the manner we farm and live our day to day lives- but when your views are asked- to not give them, is not a protest against change- its a wasted opportunity to help shape how those future changes may be structured and implemented.

We are part of the EU- and as a small member state our voice does not get the same weighting as some of our continental cousins. In exercises such as this- where you really have the opportunity to say whats on your mind- it would be squandering a golden opportunity that might not come along again for a long while.......

Its only 5 minutes guys......

Tora Bora

smccarrick wrote: »

The civil services of the individual governments have policy units who do present position papers to Ministers detailing the possible outcomes of various courses of actions (but ultimately of course a civil servants job is to implement government policy- not dictate it).

Views are constantly collated nationally- and are assessed when drafting position papers (all vested interests would normally be represented- in general by their representative bodies, in the case of farming by the IFA, ICMSA etc)

Its all well and good to bitch about the EU not listening to us, and there has in the past been some merit to that point of view. Personally I believe that there is a concerted effort being made to understand the viewpoints of all vested interests- in a manner that really has not happened in the past. I'd urge people to respond to the request for views with an open mind- 5 minutes isn't going to kill anyone.

The whole purpose and the manner in which the EU institutions operate has been badly misrepresented in both national and international media. It is only human to be sceptical about an organisation so far away whose actions has the potential to have far reaching effects in the manner we farm and live our day to day lives- but when your views are asked- to not give them, is not a protest against change- its a wasted opportunity to help shape how those future changes may be structured and implemented.

We are part of the EU- and as a small member state our voice does not get the same weighting as some of our continental cousins. In exercises such as this- where you really have the opportunity to say whats on your mind- it would be squandering a golden opportunity that might not come along again for a long while.......

Its only 5 minutes guys......

It has well been proven through out the recent economic crisis globally, that high ranking officials, on criminal levels of salaries, bonuses, expenses and so on, simply do not give a tuppeny bit for the views of, or need of, or basic reqirements of the ordinary Joe soap!
EU institutions are classic examples of these "ivory tower" clientele. Our own brave Charlie McGreedy amoungst them! Ahem ...... and the fine lady who followed him to Brussels ...... Maire Geoghan Quinn , she of multiple salaries, pensions, houses, apartments. What on earth would either one of these two fine stalwarts know about what ordinary Joe needs. Do they care?

They were preceded in their fine ivory tower, by PEE FLYNN!!!! Nuf said:mad:

The_Conductor

Tora Bora wrote: »

It has well been proven through out the recent economic crisis globally, that high ranking officials, on criminal levels of salaries, bonuses, expenses and so on, simply do not give a tuppeny bit for the views of, or need of, or basic reqirements of the ordinary Joe soap!
EU institutions are classic examples of these "ivory tower" clientele. Our own brave Charlie McGreedy amoungst them! Ahem ...... and the fine lady who followed him to Brussels ...... Maire Geoghan Quinn , she of multiple salaries, pensions, houses, apartments. What on earth would either one of these two fine stalwarts know about what ordinary Joe needs. Do they care?

They were preceded in their fine ivory tower, by PEE FLYNN!!!! Nuf said:mad:

So- on the basis of your personal bias against these politicians, you think that by not filling out a very brief survey of views, that you're making some sort of point?

Opportunities such as this do help shape policy. Not partaking in them- is akin to not voting- you are disenfranchising yourself.

There is indeed much wrong with the Irish political system- however the EU Commission, and how it spends the funds budgeted for the CAP- has the potential to have far greater ramifications for you or I- than does P Flynn, his daughter, MGQ or any other elected or non-elected officials.

Not giving your view is not a protest- its a waste of an opportunity.

reilig

I'll definitely fill it out!

When I was in college a number of years ago, a part of our course was European Studies and this involved a field trip to Brussles. We met several Irish MEPs there who arranged speakers. I distinctly remember the speaker on Agriculture - she was an aid to someone high up in the Agriculture Dept ( I can't remember exactly)

Anyway, coming from a farming background, I was interested in what she had to say about Irish agriculture. I was somewhat shocked to be honest, the bones of her story were as follows: (Bearing in mind that this was 10 years ago)

Ireland's agriculture has benefited more from EU funds than any other country in the EU. This was due to a number of combining factors that included poor land quality and isolation due to no road links with other countries. However, she stressed that the main reason why Ireland got so much money was because we were so good at playing the poor mouth. She talked about how her superiors had been brought to Ireland on numerous fact finding missions and how they were always shown the poorest mountain land and run down cottages with 15 children surviving on 20 acres of poor land. She went as far as to say that Ireland displayed itself as a "Third World Country" for the sake of securing grants from the EU.

This was around the time of the accession countries, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania etc receiving permission to join the EU. Our speaker almost threw it in our faces that we were going to receive much much less from the EU in terms of subsidies when these "more deserving" countries joined.

I don't mean this to come across as a bitch about the EU not listening to us, I hope that it will give a more informed view of what the EU have to deal with and how they view us. We are very tiny fish in a seriously big pond. We take an awful awful lot and give very little in return and the recent economic crisis shows that in the coming years we won't have an awful lot to give either. In reality we cannot expect to continue to receive the same amount of money from the EU as we recieved for the last 30 years. The EU had expected a return on their investment in our country by now and we should be contributors rather than receivers.

So I am in favour of having our say and believe that everyone should. But it appears that the EU have a printed menu with Caviar on it when you and I both know that all they have available is bread and water

smccarrick wrote: »

The civil services of the individual governments have policy units who do present position papers to Ministers detailing the possible outcomes of various courses of actions (but ultimately of course a civil servants job is to implement government policy- not dictate it).

Views are constantly collated nationally- and are assessed when drafting position papers (all vested interests would normally be represented- in general by their representative bodies, in the case of farming by the IFA, ICMSA etc)

Its all well and good to bitch about the EU not listening to us, and there has in the past been some merit to that point of view. Personally I believe that there is a concerted effort being made to understand the viewpoints of all vested interests- in a manner that really has not happened in the past. I'd urge people to respond to the request for views with an open mind- 5 minutes isn't going to kill anyone.

The whole purpose and the manner in which the EU institutions operate has been badly misrepresented in both national and international media. It is only human to be sceptical about an organisation so far away whose actions has the potential to have far reaching effects in the manner we farm and live our day to day lives- but when your views are asked- to not give them, is not a protest against change- its a wasted opportunity to help shape how those future changes may be structured and implemented.

We are part of the EU- and as a small member state our voice does not get the same weighting as some of our continental cousins. In exercises such as this- where you really have the opportunity to say whats on your mind- it would be squandering a golden opportunity that might not come along again for a long while.......

Its only 5 minutes guys......

Daithi BC

Put in my few thoughts. I'd agree that when you get the chance, you need to say something. There's no point complaining afterwards that we never got a chance to put our case.