The data showed, that large landowners, old German nobility and large international corporations are the largest recipients of the EU farmsubsidies. Read the entire story at German news magazine Stern.

 

However those data are not the complete data and there are blank spots in the list of the super-recipients, who get more than 50.000 € per year.

 

The data were released following my request in the spring of 2005, I asked for the names, addresses and funds of the very large recipients, who get more than 50.000 € per year. I applied according to the access to environmental information law and – alternatively – according to the freedom of information law of the province of Nordrhein-Westfalen.

 

Just before the case was brought before the Administrative Court in Düsseldorf – actually in the aisle outside the court room – the ministry said, they were willing to release the data for all names, who obviously are not private persons. The cost would be 300 € for taking the time to clean the data for five years of subsidies.

The list – divided by year – can be found at the Stern.de website - including the blank spots.

All data plus data from other European countries are available at the Farmsubsidy.org website.

 

The court rejected my request to release the complete information, and I am appealing that decision to the Higher Administrative Court of the province.