IRELAND/FRANCE:Department of Agriculture sources have described the outcome of the French elections and the proposed new EU budget as a landmark weekend for Irish agriculture.
The new conservative French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, is expected not to be as supportive of the Common Agricultural Policy (Cap) as the outgoing president, Jacques Chirac.
The news of Mr Sarkozy's election came following the weekend disclosure that next year, for the first time, the EU will spend more on modernising the union's economy than on agriculture.
Spending next year, which will increase by 2 per cent to €129.2 billion, will see €57.2 billion go towards boosting economic growth in research, transport networks, training and regional aid.
The farm spending level proposed by the European Commission will be €56.3 billion, which puts the agriculture budget in second place for the first time since the Cap was established decades ago.
The commission's budget has yet to be approved by the European Parliament and the EU member states, but the Republic can expect less support in the future from France which, under Mr Chirac, had adopted a strong pro-Cap stance.