EC PLANS FOR CASH PAYMENTS TO FARMERS IMPEDED
Controversial plans to pay
Western Europe's surplus-producing farmers generous cash grants
to leave the land ran into problems at today's weekly meeting
of the European Community (EC) Commission, officials said.
    They said the 17-member Commission, which effectively runs
the Community on a day-to-day basis, appeared divided over the
proposals which some people argue could lead to national
capitals having too much say in EC farm policies.
    EC Farm Commissioner Frans Andriessen is proposing paying
farmers as much as 2,800 dlrs a year over five years to leave
the land. EC member states would be permitted to top up
payments to the poorest farmers to 80 pct of the average
national farm income.
    The package would also include an early retirement scheme,
details of which have yet to be unveiled.
    Andriessen's aim is to make a restrictive price policy --
the centre-piece of a current battle to curb unwanted food
production -- more acceptable to countries with large farming
communities.
    With two-thirds of the EC's entire 39 billion dlr budget
swallowed up by EC farm supports, he argues that in the
long-run the payments would lead to considerable savings.
 Reuter
