Pompidou, Georges.

English

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AMBASSADE DE FRANCE 
SERVICE DE PRESSE ET D'INFORMATION 
972 FIFTH A VENUE, NEW YORK 21, N. Y. REgent 7 ·9700 
Speeches and Press Conferences 
No. 232 
STATEMENT ON THE COMMON MARKET 
October 14, 1965 
FROM THE ADDRESS OF FRENCH PREMIER GEORGES POMPIDOU 
MADE OVER FRENCH RADIO AND TELEVISION 
ON THURSDAY EVEN1NG~ OCTOBER 14, 1965 
We have already stated, I believe~ the reasons for which we had to 
take note last June 30th of our partners0 refusal to honor the commitments 
entered ;Lnto and several times reaffirmed. But I am well aware that since 
that date a few people or organizations have been seized with some concern 
and that we are sometimes urgently requested to resume the negotiations at 
once. 
But first of all, is that useful and possible right now, when the 
new German Government to be formed after the e1ections has hot yet been in-
stalled and when, in the immediate future, we ourselves are goirrg to enter 
the Presidential election campaign? In any event, we are prepared--and only 
·!yesterday General de Gaulle reiterated this quite clearly at his last press 
/conference~-we are prepared to entertain any suggestions and proposals made 
;,to us by the Governments of the other five countries. But I would not ·l'ike to 
!see this state of concern that has arisen from the crisis be an occasion for 
public opinion to form the idea that the Common Market is the solution to 
all our problems. There are healers, quacks, who recommend a wonder salve 
to all who go to consult them--whether they have a broken leg or a head cold, 
it's always the same salve. 
Well, it seems to me that the Common Market as pictured by some 
resembles that salve a little. Like it, it cures everything, which means that 
it probably cures nothing, but merely builds an illusion. The Common Market 
alone will be of no help to our industry--on the contrary, it will set it in 
direct competition with the powerful German industry. It will bring our 
farmers only partial and momentary relief, primarily because of the rise in 
grain prices. But if our industry, our agriculture do not make a great 
effort to reQavate themselves, their prosperity will be short-lived and 
they will have no prospect of a real future. Our industry must concentrate 
and rationalize itself so as to keep abreast of the competition. Consequently 
our agriculture, which produces mo~e than France needs, must adapt its output 
-2-
to external demand and, for example,.produce more meat, fruits, vegetables, 
butter and cheese, and on condition that their quality and prices are com-
petitive. From this standpoint, the grain price increase decided on in Brussels 
would be rather deceptive, and even dangerous if it caused a further production 
increase in this already surplus crop, although the Common Market must se_e that 
the substantial--and moreover increased--burden of wheat exports is shouldered 
by the six countries, and no longer by France alone, on ·qondition, naturally, 
that we have a suitable financial regulation, which is exactly what wa.sdenied 
us on June 30th. And on further condition that this regulation aannot be held 
up to question again by our partners against our will. So, you see, it is not 
so simple. 
All things considered, and in any event, our economic future lies 
firstly in the transformation of our industry and our agriculture. The 
Common Market can only make this transfo·rmation more necessary. And, indeed, 
one of its principal virtues is to make us realize the urgency of the problem 
and the importance of the stake. But whether it is completed or not, the 
effort will be the same and will have to be accepted. 
There is, it is true, another merit in the Common Market that is 
unique to it and that lets us hope that it will be possible to overcome this 
cr~s~s: it is to make the European countries, starting with the Six, grow 
accustomed to living together. And, let us hope, to make them grow aware--
slowly, alas--that it is in their basic interest to join together for the 
greatest benefit of world equilibrium and peace. 
This is what I can say to you about the Common Market. 


Statement on the Common Market from the address of French Premier Georges Pompidou made over French radio and television on Thursday evening, October 14, 1965. Ambassade de France, Speeches and Press Conferences No. 232, October 14, 1965

AMBASSADE  DE FRANCE SERVICE  DE  PRESSE  ET  D'INFORMATION 972  FIFTH  A  VENUE,  NEW  YORK  21,  N.  Y.  REgent  7  ·9700 Speeches and Press Conferences No.  232 STATEMENT  ON  THE  COMMON  MARKET October 14,  1965 FROM  THE  ADDRESS  OF  FRENCH  PREMIER  GEORGES  POMPIDOU MADE  OVER  FRENCH  RADIO  AND  TELEVISION ON  THURSDAY  EVEN1NG~  OCTOBER  14,  1965 We  have  already stated,  I  believe~ the  reasons for which  we  had  to take note last June  30th  of  our partners0  refusal to honor the  commitments entered  ;Lnto  and  several times  reaffirmed.  But  I  am  well aware  that  since that date a  few  people or organizations have  been  seized with  some  concern and that we  are  sometimes urgently requested to  resume  the negotiations at once. But first of all,  is that useful and  possible right now,  when  the new  German  Government  to be  formed  after the  e1ections has hot yet been in-stalled and  when,  in the  immediate future,  we  ourselves are  goirrg  to enter the Presidential election campaign?  In any  event,  we  are prepared--and only ·!yesterday General de  Gaulle  reiterated this quite  clearly at his last press /conference~-we are prepared to entertain any  suggestions and  proposals made ;,to  us by the Governments  of the other five  countries.  But  I  would  not ·l'ike to !see this state of concern that has arisen from  the crisis be  an  occasion for public opinion to form the  idea that the  Common  Market  is the  solution to all our problems.  There  are  healers,  quacks,  who  recommend  a  wonder  salve to all who  go  to  consult them--whether they have  a  broken leg or a  head  cold, it's always the  same  salve. Well,  it seems  to  me  that the  Common  Market  as pictured by  some resembles that  salve a  little.  Like it, it cures everything,  which  means  that it probably cures nothing,  but  merely builds an illusion.  The  Common  Market alone will be  of  no  help to our industry--on the  contrary,  it will set it in direct competition with the  powerful German  industry.  It will bring our farmers only partial and momentary  relief,  primarily because of the rise in grain prices.  But  if our industry,  our agriculture  do  not  make  a  great effort to  reQavate  themselves,  their prosperity will be  short-lived and they will have  no  prospect of a  real future.  Our  industry must  concentrate and  rationalize itself  so  as to keep  abreast of the  competition.  Consequently our agriculture,  which produces  mo~e than France needs,  must  adapt its output -2-to external demand  and,  for example,.produce  more  meat,  fruits,  vegetables, butter and  cheese,  and  on  condition that their quality and  prices are com-petitive.  From this standpoint,  the grain price increase decided  on  in Brussels would  be  rather deceptive,  and  even dangerous if it caused  a  further production increase  in this already  surplus crop,  although the  Common  Market  must  se_e  that the  substantial--and moreover  increased--burden of wheat  exports is shouldered by the  six countries,  and  no  longer by France alone,  on  ·qondition,  naturally, that we  have  a  suitable financial regulation,  which  is exactly what  wa.sdenied us on  June  30th.  And  on  further condition that this regulation aannot  be  held up  to  question again by  our partners against our will.  So,  you  see,  it is not so  simple. All things  considered,  and  in any event,  our economic  future lies firstly in the transformation of  our industry and  our agriculture.  The Common  Market  can  only make  this transfo·rmation more  necessary.  And,  indeed, one  of its principal virtues is to  make  us realize the urgency of the problem and  the  importance  of the  stake.  But  whether it is completed or not,  the effort will be  the  same  and will have  to  be  accepted. There  is, it is true,  another merit  in the  Common  Market  that is unique  to it and  that  lets us hope  that it will be  possible to  overcome  this cr~s~s:  it is to  make  the European  countries,  starting with the  Six,  grow accustomed  to living together.  And,  let us hope,  to make  them  grow  aware--slowly,  alas--that it is in their basic interest to  join together for the greatest benefit of world  equilibrium and peace. This is what  I  can  say to you  about the  Common  Market. 

Statement on the Common Market from the address of French Premier Georges Pompidou made over French radio and television on Thursday evening, October 14, 1965. Ambassade de France, Speeches and Press Conferences No. 232, October 14, 1965

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