It conflicts with human rights to publish names and amounts on recipients of EU farm subsidies. This has the European Court of Justice decided.
Germany and Ireland have now shut down their websites, but the information can be found on farmsubsidy.org.
Today it’s hard to tell the consequenses of the decission.
See Jack Thurstons, Brigitte Alfters and mine initial reaction to the decision on behalf of Farmsubsidy.org.
Reaction from the Commissionen
“Subject: Judgement of the Court of 9/11/2010 in cases C-92/09 and C-93/09 Volker und Markus Scheke GbR and Hartmut Eifert
Member States are informed that the Court issued its ruling on 09.11.2010 in the cases cited in the subject. For individuals receiving aid from EAGF and EAFRD, this ruling in an appeal partially invalidates Council Regulation (EC) No 1290 and in particular Article 44a which introduces an obligation for Member States to publish the data of beneficiaries of agricultural fund. It invalidates Commission Regulation (EC) No. 259/2008 in its entirety.
Consequently, with immediate effect, all Member States are requested to suspend the publication of data on individual beneficiaries affected by the invalidated provisions.
As regards legal persons, provided this is technically and administratively feasible, Member States may continue to publish the data. It is requested from Member States to kindly inform the Commission during the Funds Committee meeting of November 16 2010, if they are technically and administratively able to distinguish between natural and legal persons.
The Commission will embark on the drafting of a new proposal for a Council and Parliament Regulation (amendment of Regulation (EC) N° 1290/2005) which will take account of the objections raised by the Court.”
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