Warunki funkcjonowania rolnictwa w świetle umów międzynarodowych

Abstract

Agriculture is an area where the trade of developed countries appears to be conducted on a highly artificial basis reflecting the system of support used in their internal markets. The reality is that agricultural trade is an area where developed countries have not been willing to allow free reign to market forces. Agricultural trade has always received special treatment in the GATT context. The Uruguay Round was a historic achievement with respect to agriculture, as it was in so many other areas. The Agreement on Agriculture, which considerably strengthened the GATT rules on agriculture, was designed to shape the future agricultural policies of the members of the newly created World Trade Organization. The Punta del Este Declaration, which launched the negotiations, had set ambitious objectives and substantial progress was made during the negotiations towards realization of those objectives. It must be recognized, however, that the Agreement is only the first step in a process of reform. The reform programme envisaged the adoption of specific commitments to increase market access and to reduce domestic support and export subsidies, which would lead to “substantial reductions in agricultural support and protection sustained over an agreed period of time”.