EU top-up premia aimed at encouraging les intensive farming are doing little to change farming habits.

EU top-up premia aimed at encouraging les intensive farming are doing little to change farming habits, and are in any case poorly conceived.

These are the conclusions plant out in a report upon the 'extensification premia' system for livestock published this week by dint of the EU's financial watchdog, the Court of Auditors.

The extra premia reward farmers for having fewer than couple animals per hectare, and the theory has faced amendments ...