Farmers back treaty in bid for more EU sway

Farmers have shown their gratitude for decades of receiving cheques in the post from Brussels by backing a 'Yes' vote in the upcoming Lisbon Treaty to reform the EU.

As the Irish Farmers' Association's AGM continued yesterday, the union's President Padraig Walshe said they had made a judgement on where the best interests of their 85,000 members lie, and that was in backing the treaty.

"I believe our future is best served and the future of Irish farmers is best served, at the heart of Europe rather than on the fringes," he said. "We are recommending to our members out there that they should adopt a stance of voting 'Yes' in the forthcoming referendum."

The European Commissioner for Agriculture Mariann Fischer Boel said she was delighted to return to Brussels with a clear message from the Irish farming community, describing it as a "huge gift".

The commissioner said everyone was aware of the risk of voters basing their judgement on other issues.

The European Commissioner also told the gathering of farming union leaders that the sector had nothing to fear from health check on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and they could continue with the historic method of payment.

It also remained clear that increased modulation payments will remain a bone of contention.

There was resistance among farmers on money being removed from the payments under the CAP and being diverted into rural development.