Danish Association for International Co-operation | July 22, 2003
It has almost become a tradition that only the most protectionistic EU members express their opinions while those in favour of more free trade keep quiet or only express their views in closed meetings. The more refreshing it was to hear Denmark come into the open twice during the past two weeks demanding further liberalisation of the EU agricultural policies.
In both cases a majority in the parliament has directed the government to act more openly and directly in the EU. First by demanding that Denmark votes against any increase and for any decrease of agricultural export subsidies, next by demanding that the government before 1st September presents a proposal to the EU on dismantling the sugar regime within 5 years. The majority does not include the two government parties - the Liberal Party and the Conservatives - but does include their essential ally, the Danish People's Party.
The government has accepted the demands and the following week Denmark for the first time voted against an increase of the restitutions for export of pork even if it is a major Danish export product to countries outside the EU. These are minor administrative adjustments while the abolishment of the EU sugar regime will be a much more dramatic step.
The resolution demands that the government before 1. September 2003 publish a proposal for a strategy on how to liberalise the sugar sector and to ensure that this strategy is presented to the other EU countries and the European Commission. The strategy must include
1. full liberalisation of EU's sugarproduction and -supply; 2. implementation within a maximum period of 5 years and in a manner so that the move towards a liberalised market is at least as big during the first years as during the last; 3. immidiate market access to EU's sugarmarket for the least developed countries.
Furthermore it requires the government to actively work for the implementation of the strategy through intensive efforts in the Council of Ministers and the administration as well as through actively and openly distance itself from any less ambitious proposal in the public debate.
Denmark is a small actor in the EU and the proposal may not be well received by other members but it could encourage other countries to do the same. As the initiator, Jorn Jespersen (Socialist Peoples' Party) says: "It is now we have to show that we are serious when making nice speeches about abolishing the subsidies for agriculture. In September the important WTO negotiations about more free trade starts. Danmark must take a lead and appear as an EU country really willing to liberalise -- even in areas where it may hurt our own farmers".Danish Association for International Co-operation:
