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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, MARCH 30, 1984
PAGE 15
Yesterday's Marplan opinion poll proved that it was not only the
French who felt that way. This showed Britain as easily the
least constructive nation in Europe, while the West Germans
appeared to be everyone's favourites. � rival Gallup poll showed
that only£!!! Briton in four would� vote to stay inside the
ECC, even though Mrs. Thatcher claims that the last general
election put the question of Britain's membership out of court.
More about the Marplan poll and its overall indictment of Britain was sum
marized in the March 19 edition of the GUARDIAN:
Britain goes into today's European summit with an image across
the Community as the organisation's principal troublemaker,
according to an opinion poll carried out in seven member states
by Marplan and associated European polling organisations. It is
far and� the t � p choice�� countr � which plays the least
constructive role 1n the Community's affairs.
The poll, which is being jointly published today by newspapers in
the countries which took part show that West Germany is the
unanimous choice as the member state which makes the most con
structive contribuTion.:..
�- ---- -�-
If the EEC generally is unenthusiastic about the British, the
British are unenthusiastic about the EEC.
If there were a
referendum on the issue tomorrow, a majority in Britain, on
Marplan's findings, would vote to get out....
In France, Germany, Italy and Belgium--all members of the origi
nal six--more voters favoured a move towards federalism than op
posed it. In the UK, Denmark and the Irish Republic--all coun
tries which joined"Tater--more voters were hostile to federalism
than were in favour of it.----
----
Despite all the criticism levelled at the British, personified by Mrs.
Thatcher, knowledgeable experts on both sides of the Channel (as well as
both sides of the Atlantic) realize that the EEC' s Common Agricultural
Policy (CAP) is in need of dramatic reform if the Community is to progress.
The problem is, it is almost political suicide for some continental
leaders--who would face the wrath of their farmers--to agree to Mrs.
Thatcher's positions.
The escalating cost of buying up European farm surpluses--which absorbs
about 70% of the EEC budget--is at the heart of Britain's complaint. Why,
maintain the British, should they continue to pay and pay to build up
unneeded food surpluses and to support uneconomical French agriculture in
the process? At one point in the summit, Mrs. Thatcher asked: "I'd thought
we'd come here to save money, not spend it."
Here is an illuminating article on Europe's agricultural dilemma written by
Rupert Pennant-Rea in the March 10-11 edition of the INTERNATIONAL HERALD
TRIBUNE:
When French farmers recently kidnapped two British truck drivers
near Paris, the abduction dramatized a problem nagging the
European Community, which was created to bring peace and harmony
to Western Europe.