Brussels, 29/04/2011 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 27 April, the European Commission adopted a regulation which eases the rules on the disclosure of information in beneficiaries of aid from the common agricultural policy (CAP). The Commission was reacting to the judgement by the EU Court of Justice in November of last year (joined cases C-92/09 and C-93/09) in calling on member states to publish only the names of corporate bodies (legal persons) which receive CAP aid but no longer the names of individual farmers (natural persons). The Court concluded in its ruling that the publication of the personal information of natural persons was not proportionate.
Under the new rules, EU member states are required, by 30 April, to publish information on companies which received CAP aid in 2010. A European Commission web site gives access to the sites of the member states where the information is provided (http://www.ec.europa.eu/agriculture/funding/index_en.htm ).
“While being convinced that we need to strike a balance between the objective of information and transparency, on the one hand, and the fundamental right for the protection of personal data, on the other hand, it is important for taxpayers to know how their money is spent within the CAP”, said Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Cioloº. The Commission is currently preparing a proposal on a revised transparency scheme which will take account of the Court of Justice ruling. (L.C./transl.rt)