The Americans called the bluff of the EU – the EU party line (well, the French one dictated to the EU) was that talking about getting rid of the CAP was ridculous because the US would never get rid of their subsidies. Then the US put the subsidies on the table – they are talking about mutual total abolition, phased over less than a decade, in return for ending agricultural tarrifs.
The concencus in the US is that if they can get an end to everyone elses agricultural subsidies, then it is worth the pain to the farming sector. Agriculture is not as dominant in their economy as it is in France – already the politicians are fighting on how to spend the subsidy money freed up on pork (!) that is more relevant to buying them votes….
Chirac & Co. no longer have their trousers round their ankles. They plain don't have any to pull up. Hence the fury and knashing of teeth.
The Americans called the bluff of the EU – the EU party line (well, the French one dictated to the EU) was that talking about getting rid of the CAP was ridculous because the US would never get rid of their subsidies. Then the US put the subsidies on the table – they are talking about mutual total abolition, phased over less than a decade, in return for ending agricultural tarrifs.
The concencus in the US is that if they can get an end to everyone elses agricultural subsidies, then it is worth the pain to the farming sector. Agriculture is not as dominant in their economy as it is in France – already the politicians are fighting on how to spend the subsidy money freed up on pork (!) that is more relevant to buying them votes….
Chirac & Co. no longer have their trousers round their ankles. They plain don't have any to pull up. Hence the fury and knashing of teeth.