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31. 08. 10. - 12:00

Big firms rake in most agricultural subsidies, book claims

A new book identifies rich businessmen and market-dominating companies as main benefiters of agricultural subsidies.

Hans Weiss claims in "Schwarzbuch Landwirtschaft" (Black Book of Agriculture) that the so-called small business farmers receive just 20 per cent of 2.2 billion Euros paid by the Austrian government.

"Large-scale firms and agricultural companies become bigger and bigger, while the small ones shut down," Weiss said today (Tues). The author described the current situation a "disgrace".

Fritz Grillitsch, head of the Austrian Agricultural Association, said the new book was "just the usual agitation against farmers".

Weiss claimed Vorarlberg juice company Rauch – who also fills up energy drink Red Bull – would rake in most subsidies since it used sugar produced in the European Union (EU) which is more expensive than sugar traded on the world market.

Daily Österreich meanwhile revealed billionaire Wolfgang Porsche bagged 54,796 Euros in annual subsidies, while Ingrid Flick – widow of German-Austrian tycoon Friedrich Flick – received 24,185 Euros a year.

The newspaper further reports that Alfons Mensdorff-Pouilly got an annual 14,765 Euros. The controversial lobbyist – who owns estate in Austria and England – usually calls himself "just a simple farmer".

Mensdorff-Pouilly may face bribery charges for his lobbying activities for British defence company BAE Systems. The firm agreed to pay 320 million Euros after admitting to criminal charges in response to long-standing corruption allegations in the United Kingdom and the United States earlier this year. But Austrian prosecutors confirmed recently they were currently checking whether they could charge him with bribery and facilitation of corruption.

Britain’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) was investigating allegations he had made illegal payments of around 12 million Euros in return for contracts to deliver Gripen fighter jets produced by BAE Systems to Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. The SFO however dropped charged following BAE’s controversial deal with the authorities in Britain and in the United States.

Mensdorff-Pouilly spent five days in custody in London last March after five weeks of detention in Vienna last year.

Austrian Times

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