The European Union's Common Agricultural Policy Reforms and the Sustainability of Agro-food Systems in the Euro-Mediterranean Region: How to Get Trade and Development Back on the Agenda?

摘要

The strategic opportunities for a better integration between the two shores of the Mediterranean have been recognized by the Barcelona Process launched in 1995 with the intention of liberalizing trade in the region and, based on the recognition of certain development asymmetries, moderating the reciprocity principle and introducing specific development programmes (Barcelona Declaration 1995). The process has failed to meet the expectations and fingers have been pointed at (among other things) agriculture and the European Union's (EU's) Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which defines support for the producers in the EU member states. Since the reduction of trade barriers would increase competitive pressure on Mediterranean producers, Southern EU member states, where most of these products originate, have been opposed, pointing out that the scope of CAP support for Southern products is already relatively low. On the other hand, the Northern countries, net contributors to the community budget, have been unwilling to finance additional compensatory and support programmes, thus stalling the process (Garcia-Alvarez-Coque 2002, DellAquila and Velazquez 2002).