"France's Role in CAP: The GATT Negotiations"

Lueschen, Leila. (1991) "France's Role in CAP: The GATT Negotiations". In: UNSPECIFIED, Fairfax, Virginia. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

France is a key State in the European Community (EC) and a big competitor for U.S. agricultural exports, in particular in grains. France had much to gain from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and has always promoted it strongly in Brussels. The classical approach of policy in France has been to maintain and possibly strengthen the principles of CAP. Protectionist policies and massive intervention of the State in agriculture sector had been the rule since the late 19th century. CAP and the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) negotiations are intertwined. The influence of France in shaping the CAP has been very strong. However, CAP, the basis of the French deal with Germany, is under attack. The Community is faced again with another budget crisis and the stockpiles of butter, milk, beef, wheat and sugar grow again. The old French-German coalition is weakened by different alliances on different themes. This might diminish France's influence over the EC. On the other hand, France's opposition to reduce export subsidies contributed to the breakdown of GATT in December. An exploratory study was conducted in France during September-October, 1990 in a period of intense crisis and confrontation between the French Government and the farmers during the peak of deadlock on GATT' negotiations.

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