EU MINISTERS APPROVE MUCH-DELAYED COTTON SUBSIDY REFORMS
June 1st, 2008
BY KEITH NUTHALL
REFORMS to the European Union's (EU) cotton subsidy system have been approved two years after previous changes were outlawed by the European Court of Justice. It ruled these 2004 reforms had been flawed through a lack of impact assessments and consultation. No such problems are expected with the package approved on Monday (23-6) by the EU Council of Ministers, though it - like the 2004 reforms - decouples 65% of aid to cotton producers from production levels, leaving just 35% still linked to cotton volumes. These subsidies - payable from next ...
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