Hogan's carrot: reform to soften CAP cuts

If member states agree with a new proposal that will redistribute EU farming subsidies, they can protect their small and medium-sized farms from the brunt of the five percent budget cut in the EU's common agriculture policy (CAP).

That was the message to family farms which European commissioner for agriculture Phil Hogan delivered via the press on Wednesday (2 May) in Brussels.

"I would say that the average farmer in each member state will have no cut under direct payments if this...