International

The current President of the European Council of Agriculture Ministers, Mr Fernand Boden of Luxembourg, looked rather stunned when confronted this week by the enormous contradictions between the goals of the proposed reforms of European agricultural policy and the completely outmoded text which is the article dealing with that same theme in the European constitution. This text was taken lock, stock and barrel from the old Treaty establishing the European Community and refers exclusively to the increase of production. To my question at to whether he could therefore, given his stated views, be counted amongst the opponents of the proposed constitution, he still owes me an answer.

A consultative referendum over the introduction of a European constitution will definitely be held in the Netherlands, following a vote in the Senate which saw the SP, Green Left, Labour Party and liberals of centre-left (D66) and right (VVD) back the proposal. However, in contrast to all of these Establishment parties, the SP is planning to conduct an intensive campaign for a ‘No’ to this constitution.