Britain not in favour of EU farm policy changes

(BRUSSELS) - Britain does not support an EU deal thrashed out Thursday to reform the bloc's controversial Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), a British government spokesman said.

"We were disappointed not to be able to support this package," the spokesman told AFP.

A compromise deal on reforming the EU farm subsidies policy was clinched early Thursday by the bloc's 27 farm ministers after some 18 hours of negotiations in Brussels.

"We have reached a near-unanimous accord," said French Agriculture Minister Michel Barnier, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency until the end of the year.

The European Commission explained that France was satisfied that while some opposition to the package remained, not enough countries were opposed to constitute a blocking minority and the changes were not therefore put to a ministerial vote.

Sources said Latvia was also strongly opposed to the measures.

"We see this as a lost opportunity for the EU to introduce further reforms to the CAP budget at a faster pace," the British spokesman said.

Among the particular measures upsetting London was a plan to increase milk quotas by one percent per year before scrapping them entirely by 2015.

"We were seeking a softer landing for the milk industry" the spokesman said, amid dairy farmers' fears of price falls as the quota caps are lifted.

Britain was also opposed to part of the scheme under which unused aid from one agricultural sector could be funnelled into another, rather than being returned to the member states.

Agriculture Council conclusions