The European Commission has welcomed US President’s apparent commitment to overhaul US agricultural subsidies and hopes Mr Bush’s words on the eve of the G8 summit will be translated into far-reaching reforms when the US Farm Bill is up for revision in 2007.
Mariann Fischer Boel, EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, said: “I am very encouraged to see an apparent willingness by the US to look seriously at farm reform and put the US Farm Bill on the table. We in Europe have just put in place the biggest ever reform of the Common Agricultural Policy. Farm subsidy reform is vital to boost world trade and to help the developing world out of the cycle of poverty.”
“In Europe, we have completely revolutionised the way we subsidise our farmers. Our support payments are no longer linked to what farmers produce, making them non trade-distorting. Instead, they aim to ensure high environmental and animal welfare standards and encourage innovation and diversification in rural areas. US payments, by contrast, are still largely production-linked and therefore seriously distort trade.”
“I hope the President’s words can be translated into action. We are prepared to bind our reforms into a global trade accord, but only if the US and others commit themselves to similar reform.”
