Fischer Boel: CAP reform delay is 'a dead idea'

Ministers also discussed how the economic crisis is affecting European farmers in general. A paper drafted by the Czech government, the holder of the EU presidency, says that farmers have been exposed to turbulent conditions because of sharp fluctuations in commodity prices and recent EU farm reform.

The paper states that farmers are struggling with higher costs and tighter access to credit. But the Czech paper warns against creating new policies that risk eroding or forgetting “valuable principles”, such as more market signals, state-aid rules and lower barriers to trade.