Liz hosts Warwickshire farmer's delegation

2.16.25pm GMT Tue 11th Nov 2003

Warwickshire MEP Liz Lynne is hosting a team of farmers from the Warwickshire National Farmers Union in the European Parliament today.

The delegation is visiting the European Parliament to learn more about how the European institutions work and affect the lives of local farmers. After a tour of the Parliament itself, Liz will be hosting a meeting to discuss her role and agricultural issues.

Liz commented:

"Increasingly, farmers are forced to compete on a global market and so it is quite right that many decisions that affect them are made at the European Union level. The challenge is to ensure that those decisions are made democratically and based on solid evidence, including scientific reports and comprehensive impact assessments in all Member States where relevant.

"The big issue currently is reform of the Common Agricultural Policy. Overall, the proposed reforms are a step forward, but there are legitimate concerns about how the deal negotiated by the Member States earlier this year will allow individual countries such as France to retain market distorting production subsidies in certain circumstances.

"I hope the delegation find their visit useful and informative and leave Brussels with a much clearer understanding of how the EU works."