	british farm minister attacks subsidies farm subsidies and protectionist moves threaten healthy  on both sides of the atlantic michael jopling british minister of agriculture fisheries and food warned it would not be sensible to provoke another dispute between europe and the united states jopling said in remarks prepared for an evening speech but some things are clear and they apply on both sides of the atlantic we cannot continue to pile up stocks while world demand shrinks he said governments must not operate farm policies as if they were purely domestic affairs with no impact on others they also have to recognize that they cannot in the long run develop a healthy and stable farm sector on the basis of protectionism and excessive subisdies and above all europe and the united states have too many common interests to make it worthwhile to engage in  wars and competitive export subsidies which end by benefitting no one he added it is crucial that the united states and the european community remain friends jopling who is a member of the ec agriculture committee was in indiana to visit several farms prior to talks with u s officials in washington later this week jopling also criticized a recent proposal still under consideration by the ec for a tax on vegetable and fish oils he said his government would oppose such a move because we do not think it is correct that a shortage of funds to support ec farmers should be alleviated by raising money at the consumer s expense reuter 
