DUTCH MINISTER ATTACKS W. GERMAN FARM POSITION
Dutch Agriculture Minister Gerrit
Braks said today the Netherlands deeply regretted West German
opposition to radical reforms aimed at halting unwanted
European Community (EC) food production.
    Braks told journalists he had rounded on his West German
counter-part Ignaz Kiechle and accused Bonn of "lacking the
courage to tell farmers their methods were outdated" during a
private meeting of Christian Democrat politicians on Sunday.
    Braks said he told Kiechle: "You (Bonn) have had years to
put your house in order and failed to do so."
    His comments came shortly before EC ministers failed to
reach agreement at two days of talks on prices to be paid to EC
farmers from the start of the new crop year on April 1.
    The ministers agreed to roll over the present year for two
months and resume negotiations in Luxembourg next month.
    The proposals from the EC's Brussels headquarters would
slash guaranteed prices paid to producers and seek to peg farm
spending at its current two-thirds share of a total budget of
36.2 billion European Currency Units (41 billion dlrs).
    The attack from Braks comes at a time when relations
between the EC's Executive Commission, which has proposed the
reform measures, and Bonn are at an all-time low.
    The entire 17-man Commission is today visiting Bonn, once
the most enthusiastic EC member, in an attempt to overcome
differences largely resulting from bids to rein in out of
control agricultural expenditure.
    Kiechle, who yesterday denounced as totally unacceptable
new limits on producers' rights to sell unlimited amounts of
excess products into Community warehouses, warned the meeting
the measures lead to political instability in his country.
    He said they did not even form the basis of negotiation and
stressed they were opposed by all political parties in the
country.
    The issue of farm reform has been pushed to the top of the
Community's agenda by the group's protracted financial crises
and by growing international tension over farm surpluses and
subsidies.
 Reuter
