Bad news for Brussels, as the World Health Organisation slams the Common Agricultural Policy:

The cardiovascular disease burden attributable to CAP appears substantial. Furthermore, these calculations were conservative estimates, and the true mortality burden may be higher.

More here:

Direct subsidies to farmers have led to massive overproduction of milk and beef in Europe, with the excess food then disposed of “principally as fats hidden in processed foods,”…

Looking at the 15 EU states before the 2004 round of enlargement, the annual “mortality contribution attributable to CAP was approximately 9,800 additional CHD deaths and 3,000 additional stroke deaths within the EU,” the study says, with France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK seeing the highest numbers of excess deaths.

The eurosceptics are going to have a field day with this one – and who can blame them? Is there anyone bar the French and the occasional farmer who thinks the CAP is a good thing?