Farmers have been conned by EU Commission

Press Statement by Chairmen of 'Farmers for No' James Reynolds about today's EU Commission proposals on inheritance law:

"Farmers have been brazenly lied to by the EU Commission in order to get Lisbon passed. Now Lisbon has been passed the EU Commission is putting in train everything it denied would happen during the recent Treaty debate. It's patent dishonesty is repugnant to all decent people.
"Commission has just announced a move on inheritance law without even a glance at its denials that it would do so during the Lisbon referendum.
"As Farmers for No have said, eaten bread is quickly forgotten. Now, Ireland has voted Yes and is, so to speak, 'in the bag', the EU Commission will throw every proposal it wants on us and there is nothing the IFA leadership can do about it. Farmers have been conned."

James Reynolds is Longford-based Cattle farmer.


At the launch of Farmers for No on August 20, we said

EU Commission proposals on inheritance law harmonisation, if fully implemented, would mean that Irish farmers will not be able to pass on their family farm as a single working unit to one of their children in the future.
The partial harmonisation of inheritance codes throughtout the EU as proposed by the commission will mean the continental judicial system in this matter would prevail over the Irish Common Law system. It would mean a reserved portion of the deceased's property would have to go to the children of the deceased in equal portion.
Those countries with the Napoleonic Code insist that one cannot leave property as one wishes, but that all children have an equal share.
This would mean the family farm would have to be broken up or sold.

In May this year, the EU Commission dropped the proposals to partially harmonise inheritance law throughout the EU until after Lisbon is voted on. This move was cynical and beneath contempt. Irish farmers want and deserve transparency of this issue.

Farmers for NO drew attention to two articles which gave outline to the EU Commission proposals, one in the The Irish Times
another in the European Voice 14th May 2009.


The EU Commission denied what we said about their proposals


Response to reported claims "Farmers for No" on the impact of the Lisbon Treaty

21/08/2009

The statements of the Irish farm lobby group (Farmers for No) on the Lisbon Treaty and on EU policies, quoted in today's press, are factually incorrect and misleading. They represent a totally distorted picture of the reality.

The European Commission wishes make the following points:

• Claims that succession rights will be affected by EU proposals

There is no threat from the EU to farm succession rights. This is a matter that will continue to be governed by national rules and traditions. The issue of succession rights are not a European competence.

Yet in the press today [Irish Examiner] there is an article outlining the EU Commission new proposals to introduce proposals that people can choose their jurisdiction when cross border property is being inherited.

He [Justice Commissioner Jacques Barrot] proposes people should be able to choose whether the law of the country where they live or the country where the assets are, applies to the will.

......... the proposal will take some of the stress out of succession planning by allowing people to choose the law that will govern the transmission of all their assets," he said.

The rules would not change the national rules on succession – on the continent, spouses and children cannot be disinherited and are entitled to a fixed share of assets normally.

Lisbon Vote is D-Day for Irish farmers

Press Release by Farmers for NO
Statement by James Reynolds, chairman of 'Farmers for No'.

'Friday will be D-Day for farm families and the rural community in Ireland.

'Government research found that 48 per cent of farmers voted No to Lisbon last year, Farmers for No calls on each on every member of the rural community to come out on Friday and vote no again.

'Vote No to protect your economic self-interest.

'The Irish TImes explanation on LIsbon today said : THE LISBON Treaty increases the areas that decisions are made in the Council of Ministers via qualified majority voting (QMV) rather than requiring a unanimous decision supported by all 27 EU member states."

'It is clear that Ireland will weaken its negotiatiing position by halfing its vote at the EU Council of Ministers or by handing away vetos at the same Council.
Ireland is currently at the political heart of the EU, because we are important - they need us. Once we vote Yes, we immediately become an irrelevance - as eaten bread in quickly forgotten. We cannot improve our economy by halving our vote.

'During the Pat Kenny show yesterday, Pat Rabitte misled people about Labour position on Turkish accession. At the Forum for Europe in November 2006, the three main parties all pledged support for Turkish accession as part of their policy positions.
It is clear Ireland's politicians will not veto Turkish accession - it is up to the people to do so.

'Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president last June said, "No Lisbon [Treaty], no enlargement,". He added that "the Nice Treaty limited the EU to a membership of 27 states."

'Like Sarkozy and Merkel, Farmers for No say that Lisbon is a prerequisite for enlargement. If we vote No to Lisbon, enlargement cannot take place; Turkey cannot enter the EU. A yes to Lisbon allows Turkey in the garden gate, even if a further vote is needed on their specific accession to to allow them in the EU front door. Most people don't know that in July 2009 another chapter of the accession negotiations, the 11th out of 35, was opened.

'Voting Yes and allowing potential Turkish entry to the EU would be an act of economic suicide for Ireland.
First the high number of Turkish farmers would sink CAP payments as we know them.
Secondly the free movement of 75 million people from Turkey around the EU would put huge strain on the labour market.
If Nice brought in half a million economic migrants during a boom, then Lisbon could help bring in half a million migrants at a time of recession. To allow this to happen would be an act of economic suicide.
' I ask people to vote No to Lisbon and protect CAP payments and the balance of the Irish labour market.
Frits Bolkestein, the internal market commissioner in 2004:
"After Turkish entry the EU will simply be unable to sustain its current agricultural and regional policy. Europe would implode." Farmers for No agree with this assessment, that along with the need to hold onto our WTO veto, threatened by art 207 of Lisbon is why we call for a No vote.'
ends

We need voting strength and respect - not mercy says Farmers for No

Press statement

Speaking at the Ploughing Championships, Farmers for No spokesman, David Thompson today said:

‘THE IFA arguments in favour of Lisbon are totally bogus.
If we vote No, Ireland remains a full and active member of the EU, with full access to the EU market and ECB credit etc. Padraig Walsh and Minister Brendan Smith know this of course, but try to hoodwink people with this because they know there are no benefits in the Lisbon Treaty for Ireland.

‘AT the key Council of Ministers, under Lisbon our voting strength will half. We need more than goodwill or mercy when negotiating on behalf of Ireland; we need to keep our voting strength and get respect for our position.

‘Because we voted NO, at the moment, Ireland is at the political centre of Europe.
However, if we vote Yes, eaten bread is quickly forgotten and we become an irrelevance overnight.

‘Article 207 of Lisbon is clear that we lose our World Trade Organisation veto if we vote Yes. This would be a terminal mistake for Ireland and something the Irish people could never forgive the Yes advocates for.

‘Oh yes, the IFA sponsored poll is completely bogus, it is popcorn and propaganda. According to the Millward Brown study after Lisbon, 48 per cent of farmers voted no, in our experience of talking to farmers, the percentage will be even higher this time. Why is it higher? Because farmers notice a bad deal for agriculture and rural Ireland when they see it.’

ends

From the Ploughing Championships

Statement by David Thompson, spokesman of 'Farmers for No', who was speaking from the Ploughing Championships in Kildare today:

‘Agriculture under the leadership of Padraig Walsh, and the whole country under the leadership of Brian Cowen are on its knees. Yet both these people who led farmers to such dire financial circumstances today both advocate a Yes vote.

‘A Yes vote for Lisbon will half Ireland’s vote at the crucial Council of Ministers, and Farmers for NO hold this will damage Ireland’s negotiating strength.

‘It is quite clear from article 207 of Lisbon itself that Ireland also loses its WTO veto. To allow this to happen would help crucify Irish farmers on the untrammelled global market and be detrimental for farm families.

‘Only a no vote to Lisbon can prevent Turkey’s proposed entry into the EU. If it were allowed to go ahead - CAP payments would be decimated and this has no benefits for Irish farmers whatsoever.

‘If Farmers vote NO, we still remain full and committed members of the EU. We’ve got a democratic deficit and a budget deficit; we’ve got to get rid of both. The quickest way to get rid of this anti-Farmer government is to vote No to Lisbon and force Cowen into the knackers field.
Unless we get rid of both Cowen and the Lisbon Treaty, the fate of the fishermen, the beet growers, and the turf cutters awaits Irish farmers.

Farmers must send this Treaty to the historical dustbin to save Irish negotiating strength, and democratic accountability from a corrupt elite who would sell their grandmothers to the highest bidder if they thought they could profit from it.

Yes vote a call for more hyper-regulation

Farmers for No spokesman David Thompson - former Limerick IFA chairman.
re Padraig Walsh's call for Nitrates Directive derogation:

'Farmers have had enough of EU hyper regulation which is strangling our industry and way of life.

'Why should Farmers are being financially crippled by the Nitrates Directive vote for Lisbon and more hyper-regulation?
Why should turf cutters prevented from cutting turf by the EU Habitats directive, give more power to EU bureaucrats.
'No farmer will a an ounce of intelligence will ask for more form filling and hyper-regulation.
'A Lisbon yes vote hands more power and areas of competence over to EU instutitions. It's a bad practice to make this instittutions more powerful but less acccountable.

IFA leader Padraig Walsh would be better off campaigning to keep political power in Irish people's hands rather that begging for a derogation of EU law after it's too late.

The EU was good for farmers in the past. But Lisbon is about the future and things are changing rapidly. There is not more money in the EU for us. Post-Lisbon is going to be payback time for the Irish taxpayer.'

ends

Exert political leverage by voting No to Lisbon

Regarding the IFA Farmers Protest in Athlone today, Farmers for No spokesman,

David Thompson last night said,

'Farmers have been treated so badly for years now, it is right that they protest against their lowering income and this useless anti-Farmer government.

'However, instead of leading farmers on a merry dance to waste their energy, if Padraig Walsh wishes to exert political leverage and get a better deal for farmers, he must use the chief weapon of political leverage by campaigning for a No vote to Lisbon.

The quickest way to bring down our incompetent taoiseach, Brian Cowen, is to vote No to Lisbon. Increasing numbers of FG and Labour voters will vote No to get rid of him; it's about time Padraig Walsh and all IFA leaders did the same. It's also time FF voters put their country first by voting No.'

Pat Cox should practice transparency before he tries to lecture everybody else on it

Pat Cox should practice transparency before he tries to lecture everybody else on it given his Bilderberg attendance, involvement in Eurostat cover-up, and nondisclosure of professional lobby interests.

Press Release from Farmers for No group. Sunday 13th September 2009

Farmers for No spokesman David Thompson:

Speaking from the Agricultural Science Association Conference today at Castleknock Hotel, Farmers for No spokesman Mr David Thompson, a former president of the Agricultural Science Association said it was ‘quite nauseating to hear Pat Cox lecture conference participants about the importance of transparency today when it certainly appears he does not practice it himself.
‘It is absolutely ludicrous for Pat Cox to be preaching about transparency when he has attended a secret and elitist Bilderberg Meeting in May 2003 at the invitation of Peter Sutherland, after which Cox’s attendance was not officially disclosed.

‘This is the same Pat Cox, who while President of the European Parliament agreed with Romano Prodi that the investigative report into wholesale abuse and corruption of the EU budget, called the EUrostat scandal, be kept secret.

‘Only a select group of MEPs were permitted to see the audit and report, and then only in a darkened room, under surveillance from security guards, having been denied the use of a photocopier, camera or even mobile phone, and after having been forced to sign a declaration promising not to reveal the contents of the report. When a hearing was held to discuss the results, it was Cox and Prodi who ensured that the results of the use of taxpayers' money never became public.

‘Corporate Europe Observatory also recently addressed the subject of Mr Cox's lack of transparency. They pointed out that he is director of two lobby firms, Strategic Consulting firm CAPA Ltd and European Integration Solutions, but has chosen not to register these voluntarily with the European Commission's transparency register.

‘Surely Irish citizens who stand to loose democratic powers in the Lisbon Treaty - and taxpayers who can be taxed by the EU under article 311 Own Resources taxation have a right to greater transparency from those who advocate a Yes vote.
Before Pat Cox lectures people on transparency perhaps he could practice a bit of it himself.
‘The Lisbon Treaty makes EU institutions more powerful but less accountable - this is not a good deal for Irish citizens, and that’s why Farmers for No are advocating a No vote.

‘Pat Cox has personal vested interest in getting a Yes vote. He has been tipped as FF choice for next EU Commissioner - that’s a big job with a big salary. Will he give an assurance in advance that he will not accept the role of Irish commissionership if offered to him?
That would be a bit of transparency if only a start.’

ends

David Thompson is spokesman for Farmers for NO.
He is former chairman of Limerick IFA and former President of the
Agricultural Science Association

Background and references

The True Story of the Bilderberg Group
by Daniel Estulin, 2009. Pictures of invites and acceptance by Cox, page 218.

Eurostat cover-up
Book by Marta Andreasen, ‘Brussels Laid Bare’, pgs 106-108.

Corporate Europe Observatory

http://www.corporateeurope.org/lobbycracy/content/2009/08/news-about-cox-conflicts-interest