Canada blasts US, EU farm subsidies ahead of G8
AFP, Ottawa,
Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin condemned the European Union and United States Wednesday, ahead of G8 talks next week, for maintaining high agricultural subsidies that make it hard for poor countries to compete. "As far as Africa's concerned, I think we all understand that foreign financial aid is crucial. To that extent, Canada is doubling its aid to Africa by the year 2008," Martin said. "But foreign aid is more than simply straight money. It's about trade. And within this context, especially given the difference of opinion that took place about 10 days ago between the United Kingdom and France, I would very much hope that the European common agricultural policy, US subsidies to its agriculture, would be a subject of discussion," he said. French President Jacques Chirac rejected this month any linkage between Britain's contested EU rebate and British demands for reform of the bloc's farm aid system. Britain has insisted that any discussion of its rebate can only take place in the context of a wider discussion of the long-disputed Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which gives generous subsidies notably to French farmers.
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