Member states of the European Union on Monday agreed to loosen the environmental regulations for farmers seeking subsidies under the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The revision means farmers would face fewer hurdles when applying for CAP subsidies. For example, farmers would no longer be obliged to leave parts of their arable land fallow. Lively protests brought the EU’s political centre in Brussels to a standstill in February, as farmers in convoys of tractors protested EU red tape. The CAP pays subsidies farmers rely on to stay afloat, but payments are conditional on strict environme…