The European Union's programme of farm subsidies makes no sense and must be changed, British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Tuesday in Paris, dpa reported. "My objection is to the European Union putting 40 per cent of its budget into an area where you have only 2 per cent of employment," Blair said following talks with French President Jacques Chirac. "It makes no sense." Blair and Chirac met in Paris to attempt to iron out disagreements over the E.U.'s financing. Chirac has demanded that Blair accept a significant cut in Britain's annual budget rebate from the E.U., which amounted to 5.3 billion euros (6.4 billion dollars) last year, dpa reported. Blair on Tuesday again linked any compromise on the rebate to a change in the E.U.'s farm subsidies programme, or Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). "I can't see an agreement (on E.U. financing) that does not address the (spending) fundamentals," Blair said, adding: "It's difficult to see how you can have a change in fundamentals that doesn't have a change in the CAP." --More 2335 Local Time 2035 GMT
