Tugendhat, Christopher.

English

Archive of European Integration

... TALSMANDENS GRUPPE- SPREC-HERGRUPPE- SPOKESMAN'S  GROUP- GROUPE  OU  PORTE-PAROLE OMMA EKnPOLOnQY TYnOY - GRUPPO DEL PORTAVOCE  - BUREAU VAN  DE  WOORDVOERDER ·:.· : .·· :·.·:  .. :.: ··.·.: . .  ..  : . : :· .  ..  . .  . .  ................................................. ·-·  .  .  .. . .  .  ...  . .  .  .. . .. ....  ;··· •  •  • ••  ••  •  •  •  •  ••  •  •••• •  •  •  ••  ••  • • • •  •  •••  •  •  •  • PRESSE·MEDDEUlSE· MITTEilUNG  AN  DIE  PRESSE· PRESS·REUASE ·INFORMATION AlA PRESSE ANAKOINDIH  riA TON  TYRO •  INFDRMAZIDNE AllA STAMPA •  MEDEDELING  AAN  DE  PERS EMBARGOED:  not  for  use  before 20.00 Brussels  time  (19.00  GMT) Monday,  January  30,  1984 ~  Brussels,  30  January 198:~ ============================== TUGENDHAT  SAYS  COMMISSION'S  PROPOSALS  ON  CAP  DESERVE  SUPPORT In  a  speech  to  the  Cardiff  Business  Club  today,  Mr.  Christopher  Tugendhat, Vice-President  of  the  European  Commission,  calls  for  full  support  to  be given  to  the  Commission's  proposals  on  reforming  the  Common  Agricultural Policy  (CAP) • Here  are  some  extracts  from  the  speech  to  be  given  at  Cardiff's  Royal Hotel  this evening. " For  some  years  now,  I  and  my  Commission  colleagues  have repeatedly  warned  that  the  Community  would  inevitably find  itself  in  a  financial  crisis  if  nothing  were  done  to curb  the  fundamental  reasons  for  the  CAP's  exce»sive costs.  Faced  with  the  impending  crisis  of  which  we warned,  the  Commission  has  taken  drastic  action  within its  powers  to  keep  spending  on  the  CAP  within  the  overall l e g a l  l i m  i t  o f  r e s o u r c e s  a v a i l a b l e  t 'o  t h e  C  o m  m  u n i t y •  I n October  1983  it  took  a  series  of  measures  to  this  end, which  saved  some  £165  million  on  the  1983  budget.  It followed  these  up  at  the  very  beginning  of  this  year  with further  action  to  cut  costs,  notably  extending  the  delay in  payments  to  traders  for  products  bought  into  interven-tion. However,  the  measures  which  are  needed  to  tackle  the fundamental  problems  of  the  CAP  can  only  be  proposed  by the  Commission;  they  have  to  be  taken  by  the  Council  of Ministers,  which  represents  the  Governments  of  the  ten Member  States.  Here  too  the  Commission  has  exercised  iti responsibility  to  the  full.  In  July  Last  year  it  put forward  a  wide-ranging  package  of  measures  designed  to achieve  these  objectives.  This  month  it  has  tabled  farm . I . KOMMISSIONEN FOR DE  EUROPJEISKE  FJELLESSKABER - KOMMISSION  DER  EUROPAISCHEN  GEMEINSCHAFTEN COMMISSION OF THE  EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES  - COMMISSION  DES COMMUNAUTES E  ·· COMMISSIONE DELLE  COMUNITA EUROPEE - COMMISSIE VAN  DE  EUROPESE GEMEEN~~~~NES  - EniTPOnH TON  EYPOnAIKON  KOINOTHTON - 2  -price  proposals  which  if  accepted  would  make  a  major contribution  towards  curbing  the  production  of  surpluses and  hence  the  cost  of  the  CAP.  These  proposals  go  to  the root  of  the  CAP's  problems  by  advocating  a  freeze  or  even a  reduction  in  the  price  of  those  products  which  are  most severly  in  surplus.  Moreover,  they  suggest  that differences  in  agricultural  prices  between  the  Member States  should  be  narrowed. This  inevitably  means  that  farmers  who  currently  enjoy prices  for  their  products  which  are  significantly  above the  Community  norm,  such  as  those  in  Britain  and  other countries  with  strong  currencies,  will  have  to  give  up some  of  their  advantages  so  as  to  play  their  part  in solving  the  problem  of  over-production.  Those  who  claim that  these  privileged  farmers  are  bearing  a  dispropor-tionate  burden  are  therefore  entirely  wrong.  They  would simply  be  losing  some  of  the  advantages  which  they currently  enjoy  at  the  expense  not  only  of  the  Community budget  but  of  consumers  and  processors  of  food  inthei r own  countries.  Indeed,  even  were  the  measures  proposed by  the  Commission  to  be  fully  implemented  now,  at  current rates  of  exchange,  British  farmers  would  still  receive prices  some  40%  above  the  Community  norm. I  cannot  say  that  I  am  surprised  by  the  barrage  of criticism  aimed  at  these  proposals  of  the  Commission  by the  agricultural  lobby.  What  does  surprise  me,  how~ver, is  the  eerie  silence  from  someof  the  very  governments who  until  recently  were  deploring  the  excesses  of  the  CAP and  urging  the  need  for  lower  pric.es  in  order  to  cut costs.  Now  is  the  time  when  their  support  for  a  more financially  responsible  CAP  is  most  needed  and  when  they have  the  opportunity  to  take  the  sort  of  concrete  action for  which  they  have  consistently  called. The  Commission  has  therefore  faced  up  to  its responsibilities  for  curbing  agricultural  expenditure. It  is  now  time  for  the  Governments  of  the  Community  to respond  to  its  proposals  for  doing  so.  I  can  only  warn once  again  that  there  can  be  no  alternative  to  prompt action  to  limit  the  cost  of  the  CAP,  for  the  Community  is virtually  at  the  Limit  of  the  financial  resource~ available  to  it. Our  object  in  putting  them  forward  is  to  preserve  what has  been  achieved  with  the  CAP  and  in  other  areas,  as well  as  to  lay  the  foundations  for  new  departures  in industrial  research  and  development,  in  the  diversification of  our  energy  supplies,  in  the  tackling  of  unemployment  and regional  problems  and  other  priorities." 

Commission's proposals on CAP deserve support. Extracts of a speech by Mr. Christopher Tugendhat, Vice-President of the European Commission, to the Cardiff Business Club. Cardiff, 30 January 1984

... 
TALSMANDENS GRUPPE- SPREC-HERGRUPPE- SPOKESMAN'S GROUP- GROUPE OU PORTE-PAROLE 
OMMA EKnPOLOnQY TYnOY - GRUPPO DEL PORTAVOCE - BUREAU VAN DE WOORDVOERDER 
·:.· : .·· :·.·: .. :.: ··.·.: . . .. : . : :· . .. . . . . 
................................................. -·. 
. .. . . . ... . . . .. . .. .... ;··· 
• • • •• •• • • • • •• • •••• • • 
• •• •• • • • • • ••• • • • • 
PRESSE·MEDDEUlSE· MITTEilUNG AN DIE PRESSE· PRESS·REUASE ·INFORMATION AlA PRESSE 
ANAKOINDIH riA TON TYRO • INFDRMAZIDNE AllA STAMPA • MEDEDELING AAN DE PERS 
EMBARGOED: not for use before 
20.00 Brussels time (19.00 GMT) 
Monday, January 30, 1984 
~ Brussels, 30 January 198:~
============================== 
TUGENDHAT SAYS COMMISSION'S PROPOSALS ON CAP DESERVE SUPPORT 
In a speech to the Cardiff Business Club today, Mr. Christopher Tugendhat, 
Vice-President of the European Commission, calls for full support to be 
given to the Commission's proposals on reforming the Common Agricultural 
Policy (CAP) • 
Here are some extracts from the speech to be given at Cardiff's Royal 
Hotel this evening. 
" 
For some years now, I and my Commission colleagues have 
repeatedly warned that the Community would inevitably 
find itself in a financial crisis if nothing were done to 
curb the fundamental reasons for the CAP's exce»sive 
costs. Faced with the impending crisis of which we 
warned, the Commission has taken drastic action within 
its powers to keep spending on the CAP within the overall 
l e g a l l i m i t o f r e s o u r c e s a v a i l a b l e t 'o t h e C o m m u n i t y • I n 
October 1983 it took a series of measures to this end, 
which saved some £165 million on the 1983 budget. It 
followed these up at the very beginning of this year with 
further action to cut costs, notably extending the delay 
in payments to traders for products bought into interven-
tion. 
However, the measures which are needed to tackle the 
fundamental problems of the CAP can only be proposed by 
the Commission; they have to be taken by the Council of 
Ministers, which represents the Governments of the ten 
Member States. Here too the Commission has exercised iti 
responsibility to the full. In July Last year it put 
forward a wide-ranging package of measures designed to 
achieve these objectives. This month it has tabled farm 
. I . 
KOMMISSIONEN FOR DE EUROPJEISKE FJELLESSKABER - KOMMISSION DER EUROPAISCHEN GEMEINSCHAFTEN 
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES - COMMISSION DES COMMUNAUTES E ·· 
COMMISSIONE DELLE COMUNITA EUROPEE - COMMISSIE VAN DE EUROPESE GEMEEN~~~~NES - EniTPOnH TON EYPOnAIKON KOINOTHTON 
- 2 -
price proposals which if accepted would make a major 
contribution towards curbing the production of surpluses 
and hence the cost of the CAP. These proposals go to the 
root of the CAP's problems by advocating a freeze or even 
a reduction in the price of those products which are most 
severly in surplus. Moreover, they suggest that 
differences in agricultural prices between the Member 
States should be narrowed. 
This inevitably means that farmers who currently enjoy 
prices for their products which are significantly above 
the Community norm, such as those in Britain and other 
countries with strong currencies, will have to give up 
some of their advantages so as to play their part in 
solving the problem of over-production. Those who claim 
that these privileged farmers are bearing a dispropor-
tionate burden are therefore entirely wrong. They would 
simply be losing some of the advantages which they 
currently enjoy at the expense not only of the Community 
budget but of consumers and processors of food inthei r 
own countries. Indeed, even were the measures proposed 
by the Commission to be fully implemented now, at current 
rates of exchange, British farmers would still receive 
prices some 40% above the Community norm. 
I cannot say that I am surprised by the barrage of 
criticism aimed at these proposals of the Commission by 
the agricultural lobby. What does surprise me, how~ver, 
is the eerie silence from someof the very governments 
who until recently were deploring the excesses of the CAP 
and urging the need for lower pric.es in order to cut 
costs. Now is the time when their support for a more 
financially responsible CAP is most needed and when they 
have the opportunity to take the sort of concrete action 
for which they have consistently called. 
The Commission has therefore faced up to its 
responsibilities for curbing agricultural expenditure. 
It is now time for the Governments of the Community to 
respond to its proposals for doing so. I can only warn 
once again that there can be no alternative to prompt 
action to limit the cost of the CAP, for the Community is 
virtually at the Limit of the financial resource~ 
available to it. 
Our object in putting them forward is to preserve what 
has been achieved with the CAP and in other areas, as 
well as to lay the foundations for new departures in 
industrial research and development, in the diversification 
of our energy supplies, in the tackling of unemployment and 
regional problems and other priorities." 


Commission's proposals on CAP deserve support. Extracts of a speech by Mr. Christopher Tugendhat, Vice-President of the European Commission, to the Cardiff Business Club. Cardiff, 30 January 1984

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Archive of European Integration

Archive of European Integration