Brown targets subsidy 'hypocrisy'

By David Loyn Developing World Correspondent, BBC News

Chancellor Gordon Brown is to accuse European countries of hypocrisy for not reforming the Common Agricultural Policy - but at the same time promising increases in aid to Africa.

His comments - due to be made in a speech - come a week before the G8 leaders meet in Gleneagles to discuss the challenges of poverty and climate change.

Gordon Brown wants African farmers to trade on a fairer basis

Behind the headlines of the historic deal agreeing to write off unpayable debts incurred by developing world countries earlier this month, there were other key agreements.

A timetable was agreed for the phasing out of export subsidies to farmers in Europe.

The continued payment of these subsidies is hypocrisy, according to Gordon Brown.

In a speech to the United Nations children's agency, UNICEF, he will appeal for an end to what he calls the waste of Europe's Common Agricultural Policy to make it more possible for farmers in the developing world to compete.

Mr Brown believes that much has been achieved in the run-up to the G8 summit.

Aid deal

Beyond the writing off of debt there is now a deal in place on aid, including new money from Italy and Germany which fulfils the demand of Tony Blair's Africa Commission, to increase aid to Africa by another $25bn a year by 2010.

The importance of this cannot be overestimated, since it should provide secure, predictable, long-term aid to pay for education and health care - the twin pillars of development - as well as new infrastructure like roads and ports.

But Africa will remain dependent on the developed world if it cannot trade its way out of poverty, which is why, a week ahead of the G8 summit, Mr Brown is targeting European farm subsidies to try to give Africa a level playing field.