Brussels, 10/05/2002 (Agence Europe) - For the Committee of Agricultural Organisation in the European Union (Copa) and the General Committee of Agricultural Co-operatives in the EEC (Cogeca), the new several billion dollar "Farm Bill", that President George Bush is about to sign is "unacceptable" as it "will significantly disturb agricultural trade" and signifies "the complete failure of the American model for agricultural policy", which nevertheless inspires for some EU Member States "favourable towards the dismantling of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)".
These two organisations feel that the measures decided "will place a screen between the American producers and the market signals, which will result in an increase in American production and exports. According to Copa and Cogeca, this strategy will have three other consequences: - it shows that extent to which agriculture cannot be left to market forces, and that it requires a policy: - it goes totally against the efforts agreed for ten years by European farmers, who have struggled to stabilise their production and the markets, thanks to reductions is partially compensated prices and supply management measures; and it will be prejudicial towards developing countries that try to establish an "healthy and prosperous" agricultural structure.
If this new "farm Bill" should enter into force, the EU will have to adopt a "very firm position" in the framework of the present negotiations under the auspices of the WTO to defend the European agricultural model and guarantee fair trade conditions for Europe and its partners, conclude the two organisations.