mr president i welcome this report because it raises issues that need discussion
i particularly endorse the sentiments of the rapporteur that rural development measures should not drain resources intended for direct payments to farmers
hence i join in questioning whether rural development funding should be linked to the common agricultural policy at all as this inevitably leads to depriving farmers of previous methods of funding
whereas if it were instead an inherent part of cohesion funding there would not be that opportunity to poach farming funds
thus i welcome the declaration in the report that the population employed in agriculture should be the main focus of support measures under rural development policy
that balance has been distorted in many rural development programmes including those affecting my region of northern ireland
