Mr. Aidan Cotter:

There has been a significant amount of change in the Common Agricultural Policy in the decades since it began. In the global marketplace and World Trade Organisation the requirements are that subsidies that are in place should not act as an incentive or a disincentive to production. What we have in place is largely recognised as something that is there to protect the family farms we have in Europe in comparison with the very large ranch-style farming that we see in areas such as South America. The small family farm in Europe would find it very difficult to compete with the large ranch farms. This is a choice that Europe makes to protect the traditional established system of farming we have had. I think it is important that it is maintained and that the policy of channelling supports towards productive farmers is important for us being able to achieve the targets set out in Food Harvest 2020.