Mr. John Comer:

I do understand the questions about the democratic process in Europe. It is fundamental that democracy is upheld and that Europe be a paragon of democracy. I believe it is as close as we can get to it. There can be tweaks in it but, fundamentally, I believe Europe to be democratic.

On the social issues, there is need for a balance. Speaking as an individual and on behalf of my organisation, I think either more federalism or more centralised governance would be a retrograde step, particularly for the feeling of some sort of benefits from the Union for sure. There is a symbiotic relationship between the 27 member states that are going to remain, yet each must have a national identity as well. Getting that balance right is central to the future of Europe. If we go too far in one way or the other, there will be member states that will not be happy and there will be objections, rumblings and protests.

There were specific questions on the CAP from Deputy Cullinane. I think it is excellent value for money. When it is explained to people, they also understand the value. It is only 1% of the GDP of Europe, which returns in spades to the taxpayer. Let us be upfront and honest here. I never hear people saying this is taxpayers' money and we need to justify it. It is never a conversation down at citizen level, yet that is where it needs to be. Even farm organisations and individuals are afraid to say so. We need to justify it and say that taxpayers are getting a return on their investment.

I wholeheartedly believe that a well-funded CAP will serve the citizens of our continent very well, although that certainly needs to be communicated better. What I feel has crept into the mood music of the Commission and the Parliament over the last three to four years, and has become more pronounced in the last two, is the sense that they want it both ways. They want to have all the benefits, including the regulation, traceability, animal welfare, environmental aspects. Those benefits are all very noble but they come at a cost. What I am putting on the Official Report today is that we cannot have it both ways. The primary producers will not be able to be economically sustainable if they have all the regulation without the financial supports. If the supports do not come from the European Union, the consumer will have to pay a lot more.