US and EU: 'illegal' agricultural subsidies

This might shake up the EU budget talks.

The EU is paying "illegal" subsidies worth more than $4bn (£2.3bn) to farmers under the common agricultural policy every year, Oxfam claimed today. A report issued by the international aid organisation accused the EU of illegally subsidising wine, dairy, corn and other food producers, claiming that 38 developing countries were suffering as a result.

Oh, and interestingly the USA is also fingered for it. Much to the chagrin of US cits who thought they were in a free-market economy; no it's only selectively free market and the selection is of the worse sort since it increases misery [contradicting 'the pursuit of happiness' which is supposed to apply to all humankind].

The report accused the US of paying more than $9.3bn in illegal subsidies, and said the total figure of £13bn for both the EU and US would be much higher if other crops were included.

There's more of interest too:
"The choice lies with the US and the EU," the report said. "Either they face manifold legal actions that will force reform on a piecemeal basis, or they negotiate reform upfront in the Doha Round."
Let's see if the WTO is a rich nations' cartel enforcer or whether it can be reformed to make development easier.
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Report condemns 'illegal' EU agricultural subsidies: Filed in: EU, CAP, G20, development, Doha, WTO, reform, agriculture, farming, fair_trade, Make_Poverty_History, USA