Euro News - Cautious reaction to EU plans on CAP reform

Irish MEPs have raised concerns that EU plans to overhaul the Common Agricultural Policy could impact negatively on Ireland. Unveiling the proposals in Brussels last week, Agricultural Commissioner Dacian Ciolos claimed they would make EU farm policy 'greener, fairer and more efficient.' There are fears, however, that this process could result in losses for Irish farmers. Independent MEP Marian Harkin criticized what she said was an 'over emphasis on environmental issues,' and a suggestion in the report that the EU could make concessions to the Mercosur countries in the next World Trade Organisation agreement. 'This could pose a potentially devastating threat to Ireland's livestock industry,' she said. A statement from the Labour Party highlighted the concern that a move to bring more equity to the distribution of direct payments to member states, would 'most likely' lead to a significant reduction in 'the overall envelope' to Ireland. Fine Gael MEP Mairéad McGuinness said that while the report notes the imbalance of power in the food supply chain, with the food industry benefiting at the expense of farmers, 'it puts little forward to address this problem.' 'These proposals are a start, only a start,' said Ms McGuinness, adding that 'we need to know what the EU is prepared to pay for this highly diversified, territorial agriculture which is talked of.' Irish children want to vote from age 16 A recent all-Ireland children's conference has heard calls for the voting age to be dropped to 16. 100 young people from primary and secondary schools around the country attended the consultation organised by the Children's Rights Alliance and the Irish Secondary School Students' Union. Speaking at the event, aimed at getting children involved in EU decision-making, participant Sarah-Jane Quinn said 16 year olds should be able to vote 'because even at that age, we have an opinion.' Fellow student Sarah Mortell agreed that young people should be given a platform to have a say on issues that affect them. 'That way our enthusiasm, interest and concern for issues in politics and the EU Parliament will carry through to adult lives, and we will have a more informed voting society and a better country' she said. Five Irish MEPs sent video messages to the children, encouraging them to get involved as much as possible in what's happening at EU level. Fine Gael MEP Jim Higgins said he regularly uses You Tube, Twitter and Facebook to communicate what's going on in Brussels to young people at home. Labour MEP Proinsias de Rossa appealed to the participants to inform themselves about domestic and EU politics. 'The most important thing you can do is to ensure that you can vote,' he said. Fine Gael MEPs Gay Mitchell and Seán Kelly reminded the young people that their voice can be heard if they contact their local MEP, or invite them to their local school or club. Fianna Fáil MEP Liam Aylward said he was looking forward to reading the views of all the Irish children who attended the conference, which will be compiled into a report, along with similar projects from other EU countries, and sent to the European Commission. Irish business women explore EU funding options A delegation from NetWork Ireland, a group representing Irish women in business and the arts, travelled to Brussels last week to investigate opportunities to support their ventures at home and abroad. The four women were there on behalf of more than 650 member organisations of NetWork Ireland, mainly in the small enterprise sector. The field trip to the EU institutions involved meetings with no less than seven Irish MEPs, Irish Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn and Secretary General of the Commission Catherine Day. Independent MEP Marian Harkin, who greeted the group on their arrival, said the meetings were 'upbeat...despite the fact that things are tough at home.' She also said it was very positive that Irish businesswomen were exploring their options abroad, particularly with regard to EU funding opportunities. 'The EU's micro-finance fund for small and medium firms is already coming on-stream in some countries and will be available in Ireland in the near future,' said Ms Harkin. The meetings also discussed EU plans for a 'one-stop-shop' of information, for businesses, on how to boost trading across the European Single Market. The delegation also met with Labour MEP Nessa Childers, Fianna Fáil MEPs Pat 'the Cope' Gallagher and Liam Aylward and Fine Gael MEPs Gay Mitchell, Mairéad McGuinness and Sean Kelly. Teens invited to design EU bookmark Secondary level students are being encouraged to get creative and come up with a winning design for an EU bookmark, in the latest schools' competition launched by the European Parliament Office in Ireland. Pupils are asked to focus on one of six themes, including '2011 European Year of Volunteering.' Other themes concern the EU connection to nature preservation, the environment, development aid, energy and climate change. The winning bookmark will be printed and distributed to schools throughout the country, and a selection of the best entries will be displayed in an exhibition at the European Parliament Offices in Dublin. Meanwhile, the winning student and 24 of his or her classmates will be jetted off to visit the European Parliament hub in Strasbourg next June. Along with students from all over the EU, they will take part in the annual Euroscola event and get to experience what it is like to debate in the parliament chambers. The contest is being organised jointly with the Professional Development Service for Teachers. Speaking at the launch, the National Co-ordinator of the PDST said the bookmark competition will give incentives for students to explore 'what it means to live in an interdependent world.'