France Blames Britain's 'National Ego' for EU Budget Crisis

[Chauga]

France’s European affairs minister singled out Britain today for causing the collapse of a crucial European Union summit, saying national egos were the main obstacle to surmounting the bloc’s crisis.

“France is not responsible,” Catherine Colonna told France-Inter radio, saying that the failure of the summit was due to the “incapacity of certain countries ... to let the collective spirit prevail.”

“Certain countries held onto their national egos,” Colonna said. “Certain countries, notably Great Britain.”


http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=4711817

[Briar]

1. This is the key:

"But at the heart of the dispute that centred on the EU’s future budget was a fundamental difference of vision: Britain believes in an American-style free-market system and is fighting to reform the bloc’s spending, while France is intent on preserving time-honoured social protections."

"Reform", like "modernise", means to strip away all protections for citizens and workers and let the market rip. That's what those voting "non" and "ne" didn't want, and what Blair is still trying to force on Europe, while bleating on about listening to the democratic voice of the people. The only people he listens to are businessmen and neocons.

[Robbien]

2. France is right. Blair insists that Britain gets large kickbacks

he calls them rebates. The budget was set up all in Britain's favor. Why would France, Germany etal agree to that?

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. Because French agribusiness gets huge subsidies

which is one of the two reasons the UK rebate was started (and no, it's not a kickback - a kickback is a bribe that goes to an official).



As you see, even with the UK rebate, France still contributes less, when you realise how much is gets in agricutural subsidies. Those subsidies are what screw farmers in developing countries.

Why millions of Africans have a stake in the outcome of Europe's farm row

Frozen chicken drumsticks: African countries have seen a dramatic rise in imports of cheap frozen chicken parts from the EU. Since European poultry farmers are able to feed their birds on subsidised grain, they can undercut local producers by half. Thriving poultry sectors in countries such as Ghana and Senegal have been hit by the forced opening of their markets.

Maize: In many parts of Africa maize is the staple diet, often ground into meal to make porridge. Subsistence farmers as well as larger operators used to sell their excess production to local poultry producers, but that market has collapsed. Not only have imports of EU-subsidised cereal meal and pellets shot up, but chicken farmers (see above) have been wiped out by competition from Europe.

Sugar: The most heavily subsidised product of all, with the worst distortions. While sugar prices in Europe are three times world levels, the EU exports at barely two-fifths of the cost of production. This stops countries such as South Africa from competing. The WTO is threatening to step in, but this could cripple poor countries such as Malawi, Ivory Coast and Madagascar, which get a windfall by being allowed to sell their sugar here.

Milk: European dumping of milk products, especially powdered milk, is thought to have put thousands of dairy farmers out of business. Trade between African countries in dairy products (as in other sectors) has been stunted because food processors can buy the raw material more cheaply from Europe.

http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/story.jsp?story=648001

The CAP is evil. Anything that gets it reformed is good. Blair wants changes, and has said he'll agree to changes in the rebate if the CAP is reformed. He probably has the support of 95% of Britain on this.

[lovuian]

3. There is no doubt in my mind that Tony Blair is representing

NOT BRITAIN but the CORPORATIONS and Waelthy Interests!!!

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. A tax rebate benefits the UK taxpayer

the CAP farm subsidies benefit farmers and food businesses - the biggest of whom can get millions.

The figures show that the Queen received more than £769,000 in EU farm subsidies in fiscal years 2003-04, while Prince Charles benefited from around £300,000 in agricultural payments to his personal estate, the Duchy of Cornwall, and the Duchy's Home Farm.

"The Queen is a landowner and a farmer," a spokesman for the monarch told the Guardian. "She receives a subsidy, just as any other farmer would do."

Tate and Lyle, a prominent sugar refiner, received the largest payment by far: more than £233,000,000 in export subsidies over the two-year period.

http://www.freedominfo.org/case/cap/

So, tell me how making the UK taxpayer pay more to support the CAP, is representing the coporations and wealthy interests?

[T_i_B]

6. France sees Chirac as loser in the 'Battle of Brussels'

http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/story.jsp?story=648287

If President Jacques Chirac hoped to regain some domestic popularity through his European showdown with Tony Blair, the French press and opinion polls will be making grim reading in the Elysée Palace.

The consensus of most French press commentary over the weekend was that the British Prime Minister had "won" the Battle of Brussels (on the eve of the 190th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo). President Chirac was presented as a double loser, on the future of the EU constitution and the future of the EU budget. The centre-left newspaper Le Monde, in an editorial headed "Blair prend la main" (Blair takes over) pointed to the paradoxical consequences of the French non to the European constitution three weeks ago. Left-wing campaigners for the "no" vote in France had promised a plan B in which Paris would be able to impose a more "social", protectionist, anti-free-market Europe. In fact, the "champion of social-liberalism", Tony Blair, had been placed in the driving seat, Le Monde said. "The only plan B which exists ... is the plan Blair," the newspaper said.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

7. The rest of Europe doesn't want the French system either.

Blair is such a convenient scapegoat.

[ikri]

8. The headline

Should really be:

"France tries to deflect attention from constitution NON vote"

The CAP has been in desperate need of reform for the last 20 years. We pay large amounts of tax for farmers to over-produce. There's a lot of support around Europe for CAP reform, and a lot of governments also realize that CAP reform would end their governments, especially the French government - remove the farm subsidies (or lower them to sane levels) and much of France would grind to a halt from protesting farmers.

So what if the UK gets a large rebate from the EU? Far more money is wasted every year with the CAP.