German Pressure on CAP

The only thing that has enabled the French to repel all attacks on their sacred CAP has been German support. What would happen if the Germans removed that support?

Germany should press France to accept cuts in European Union farm aid to ease a deal on the EU's controversial long-term budget, the man billed as Germany's next foreign minister said yesterday.

If there is an early election and if that useless waste of space Schroder loses, we could be in for an interesting time. Wolfgang Gerhardt added:

"In the past, EU member states have considered national co-financing of farm aid," he said, alluding to a proposal, opposed by Paris and now shelved, that would have seen national governments step in to cover some of the EU's farm budget. "We supported this idea. Perhaps we should bring it on the table again. It might help restart the debate."

This would be a very neat solution for the Germans, who pay many of the EU's bill. The CDU, which will probably win the next election have a strong rural constituency which they would not like to upset. As they could pay their own farmers directly under such a scheme, rather than sending the money to Brussels, they actually have nothing to lose. Once untied fom the unchangable EU rules however, there is every chance that Farm support would wither over time.