Editorial: Sense at last
OPINION: For the first time in many years, a commonsense approach is emerging to balance environmental issues with the need for the nation's primary producers to be able to operate effectively.
The New York Times investigation of nine countries during much of 2019 uncovered a subsidy system that is deliberately opaque, grossly undermines the EU’s environmental goals and is warped by corruption and self-dealing.
Every year, the 28-country EU pays out $65 billion in farm subsidies intended to support farmers around Europe and keep rural communities alive. But across Hungary and much of central and eastern Europe the bulk of the cash goes to a connected and powerful few.
For example, the prime minister of the Czech Republic collected tens of millions of dollars in subsidies just last year.
And we think NZ will get a free trade deal with the EU. Ha ha!
