Rapeseed Politics: Views of Sweden and Poland on the EU CAP

Abstract

Should candidate countries for membership in the European Union (EU) concentrate on supranational policies or on national interests in accession negotiations? We contrast Sweden’s focus on the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy with Poland’s protection of its domestic farmers against the backdrop of the burgeoning, global market for rapeseed. Our findings suggest that candidate countries should follow the road of liberal intergovernmentalism by considering the structure of strategic international markets and the power (both market and political) of existent EU member states in addition to the perceived benefits of EU-level policies.Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), European Union (EU), Poland, Rapeseed, Sweden