Suchergebnisse

The typical farmer in Norway receives more support from the state than the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) provides to the average farmer in the European Union (EU). The sheltered agricultural sector has been an important political obstacle to Norwegian membership in the European Union. While only a small percentage of the population is engaged in farming, many more Norwegians are concerned about the consequences of liberalizing the agricultural sector. Norway's unique agricultural policy can be explained by the historic importance of farming, the political power of the farmer's party (the Center Party) and the ideological commitment of Social Democrats to rural development goals. In contrast to Sweden, where agricultural policies have been adjusted to the CAP, the Norwegian government has not substantially reformed its agricultural policies. The costs of maintaining generous subsidies to agriculture are under-written by Norway's petroleum-dependent economy. The capacity of the Social Democratic government to reform the agricultural sector is constrained by powerful rural interests, who depend on state support and are effective at mobilizing the population against policy liberalizations. Of the four EFTA states that recently applied to join the EU (Sweden, Finland, Austria and Norway), domestic opposition was strongest in Norway. The real and perceived consequences of EU membership for Norwegian agriculture can partially account for the public's reluctance to join in 1994.