European Union superpowers, France and Germany have agreed to look at ways of reforming the EU’s disputed common agricultural policy (CAP).
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Gerhard Schroder, the German chancellor, and Jacques Chirac, the French president, agreed to put aside differences on CAP reform last week to see if the countries could come up with a united front on the subject. Germany is keen to move away from industrial agriculture towards organically grown foods, while France’s previous stance has been to water down proposals for agricultural change.
Chirac said last week that France was prepared to look at change, but it would only consider agricultural reform after 2006. He insisted farmers needed a period of stability and should not be subjected to change “every two years”. Schroder is keen to avoid strains in the Franco-German relationship but may find that national priorities come first.
