THE farm agreement was described yesterday by the EU Agriculture Commissioner as the most comprehensive and far-reaching reform of the CAP in its history. It would make the task of reaching agreement on the full budget at Berlin in two weeks much easier, Mr Franz Fischler said.
Welcoming the deal, which is firmly based on the rationale of the Commission's original Agenda 2000 proposals, he said the radical price cuts would put the EU in a strong position in the forthcoming round of world trade talks.
Mr Fischler expressed confidence that the budgetary problems caused by the financial overrun could be resolved straightforwardly, hinting that he believed it could be done without any clawback.
Although he insisted that the Commission was "neutral" on French degressivity proposals, he said it was clear that the vast majority of member-states were opposed to them.
Asked if the shape of the package would affect EU enlargement, Mr Fischler said the agreement provided a degree of certainty which would make talks easier.
He made it plain, however, that the Commission would seek extended transitional arrangements in agriculture for the acceeding countries.
