17. Strongly opposes, however, any re-nationalisation of agricultural policies; considers, nonetheless, that, in accordance with the subsidiarity principle, scope should be permitted for the pursuit of regional farm policies by Member States and regional authorities and that Member States and regional authorities should be given the opportunity to respond appropriately to their specific situations by means of their own activities; stresses that the common character of agricultural policy avoids distortion of competition within the internal market and generates savings for European taxpayers;

The Council also concluded (in June 2003) that the margin of manoeuvre provided by the CAP Reform of 2003 can only be used in the Doha negotiations on “condition of equivalent agricultural concessions from WTO partners”.

The paper focuses on agricultural (rather that mineral) commodities that are traded and marketed internationally. This is principally because agricultural commodities have a more direct poverty link than mineral commodities due to the very large involvement of smallholders and labourers in production.

This holds true for the problems associated with agriculture as well, which are far from being resolved, and which have not provided any scope for enlargement whatsoever.

The accession of these countries is in many ways not to be compared either with earlier accessions or with the integration of the new German Länder. Secondly, and this is at least as important: in contrast to earlier enlargements enlargement of the Community to the east will have to take place in a markedly more restrictive framework as regards international rules and obligations, and as regards our scope concerning agricultural policy and protectionism.

Farmers do not have much leeway, but consumers do not have any at all.