Criticism of the "health check" in agriculture

EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel has described her proposals for the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy as a "health check". Björn Mansson finds the term inappropriate because it implies that Europe's agriculture is sick. "The EU's referring to the revision of farm subsidies as a 'health check' is a fad, just as it's fashionable nowadays to refer to peace plans as 'roadmaps'. This is obviously all about popularisation. The alleged goal of the check is to simplify the subsidy system and make it more effective, while at the same time shifting the focus to new issues such as climate protection and bio-fuels. In principle nothing can be said against this strategy, and capping subsidies for big companies is also an appropriate measure. ... But the reform should not affect traditional, family-run farms. Not only do they produce good foodstuffs, they also form the basis of rural life."

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