Trade talks: Lisbon support of offer
They see it as legitimate to demand a firmer EU policy on world trade in return for their vote. They hold the European Commission responsible for the trade negotiations, and while they generally support the Lisbon Treaty on its own, they don’t like what they see coming down the track beside it.
Farmers have been very supportive of the EU. Entry into the EEC 35 years ago brought them from the dark ages into an era of previously unknown prosperity.
But there have been downsides in more recent years, with EU policies and decisions which farmers feel have leaned heaviest on the weaker. Now, even those who continued to benefit most are extremely worried that a world trade deal will weaken their position.
To farmers, Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson appears willing to concede too much in agriculture to secure a trade deal. That leaves farmers’ leaders facing tough decisions on how to direct their members on the Lisbon vote, if the world trade talks’ outcome remains unclear by the June 12 referendum date.
There was enough confusion and uncertainty over the merits or otherwise of the Lisbon Treaty. The more the treaty is debated, the more confusing it has become for the average voter, which explains the high percentage of “don’t knows” in opinion polls, and there is the added world trade complication for farmers.
