on Michel Godet's "Reform the CAP yes, but dismantle it at our peril"

Sir,

You have to keep your eye on the big picture in today’s global economy. But as Michel Godet says, Europe should not make too great a sacrifice at the altar of trade liberalisation, especially over agriculture. Farming may only represent a fraction of world trade, but it is still vital for the well-being of our rural economies and our citizens’ health. We cannot therefore subscribe to any reform of the Common Agricultural Policy that might endanger food safety or compromise consumer protection.

This is particularly relevant to a country like Hungary, which was once the bread basket of Europe. Hungarian agriculture has modernised rapidly since 1990 and our vast acres of farmland hold huge potential benefits for the whole of the European Union. Bio-ethanol and bio-diesel production, for example, are real alternatives to food crops; a switch to bio-fuels would reduce the EU’s carbon footprint as well as helping to limit local overproduction of edible grains. Bio-fuel crops may also be a good way to ease environmental pressure from intensive food production, especially now that compulsory set-aside seems about to disappear from the CAP.

I am not advocating that the EU should turn a blind eye to globalisation; that would fundamentally flaw our policy decisions. Dealing with the complex processes of the world economy clearly requires openness and a willingness to compromise. However, we must never forget that the European Union has a very positive image for countries queuing up to join, nor that they are prepared to make considerable sacrifices to belong. Hungary, together with other candidate countries, walked this long road just a short while ago. We know that the advantages of membership do not come easily; accession is preceded by years of preparation and hard work. For Hungary, a large chunk of this time was invested in establishing new administrative and legal structures. These were necessary both for us to participate in the day-to-day activities of the enlarged Union and also to receive rural development support and direct CAP payments.

No doubt these agricultural subsidies will continue to decrease as the EU expands eastwards and negotiating pressures escalate in the WTO. We accept that trade liberalisation is necessary and that it will bring us all visible advantages. However, since the US still plans to increase farm support, it would be a mistake to abandon a tough EU line at the WTO all together. The Hungarians, the French and other hardliners strongly hope that the Commission can get our message across and highlight to the world that there is much more at stake than the future of farmers alone.