The European Commission's ambitions for thorough reform of the CAP were dampened onward Monday and Tuesday as EU farm ministers gave last week's proposals from the European Commission a predictable battering.

The European Commission's ambitions for thorough reform of the CAP were dampened onward Monday and Tuesday as EU farm ministers gave last week's proposals from the European Commission a predictable battering.

Ministers also took decisions to finesse the EU's existing ban in succession US poultrymeat imports, and discussed the EU's strategies for preventing foot-and-mouth disease (see following article).

Leading the charge against the CAP reform proposals was Spain's Miguel Arias Canete, railing against the "inconsistencies" of the plans, and accusing EU farm Commissioner Franz Fischler of "ignoring" input from member states, farmers, and the European