Welsh Farmers claim Hypocrisy over release of payment details
THE Farmers' Union of Wales today called the European Commission's decision to publish all details of EU farm payments and their recipients a hypocritical move.
The decision follows claims from the European Parliament that there is not enough transparency in the EU farm subsidy scheme.
"This decision is a bitter pill to swallow especially when our politicians continually refuse to reveal their salaries and expenses," said FUW president Gareth Vaughan.
A statement by the Commission has revealed that "the full name, municipality and, where available, postal code of every recipient will be published in a clear, harmonised manner on nationally-managed websites".
EU Farm Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel said: "This is taxpayers' money, so it is very important that people know where it is being spent."
Yet last night it was revealed that the Commons had launched a last-ditch bid to block publication of detailed expenses of 14 MPs claiming that the release of their home addresses could "inhibit democratic debate" on a range of sensitive issues and could result in threats.
Mr Vaughan added: "A few weeks ago MEPs voted to keep their expenses a secret claiming that revealing such information breaches the privacy of individuals.
"This is surely a case of double standards. It seems to me there is one rule for us and another rule for them."
When the EC changes were proposed the union consulted its 12 county branches on the issue and members unanimously objected to adding details of main holding addresses and postcodes of payment recipients to the information already published.
"We made our views clear at the time stressing that releasing precise details about farmers carries a risk that individuals could be targeted by terrorists. I truly believe that revealing such details could result in illegal harassment and intimidation," said Mr Vaughan.
In many cases, the information released will be identical to the personal data of those individuals who run those businesses and the publication of names, addresses, etc. could result in precisely the type of scenario that the Government intended to prevent when it revised the Data Protection Act in 1998
"We must question whether the publication of what in effect amounts to personal data constitutes an infringement of both Data Protection and Human Rights legislation.
"It also beggars belief that at a time when members of the public and businesses are being encouraged to shred documentation that could be used for criminal purposes such as identity fraud, the commission wants such information published.
"Such details are commercially sensitive and could affect businesses' ability to trade and compete fairly with other businesses," he added.
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