IWPR Blasts EU

An excellent analysis of EU policies regarding agriculture in the Balkans. I am surprised that IWPR published it. they ususally blame everything on the Balkans, However, since the IWPR is a semi-official US human rights group, it may be just a case of taking a swipe against the EU. I would be surprised if there was any criticism of US policy.

He who pays the piper calls the tunes.

Institute for War and Peace Reporting

The constraints start with quotas set on the import of key agricultural products, such as wine, fish and veal, all of which negatively effect farmers in the western Balkans.

For example, wine is one of Macedonia’s major exports. Its vineyards produce around 1,5 million hectolitres of wine each year and – according to local experts - have the potential to export around 500,000 hectolitres to the EU.

But the potential has not been realised, thanks to an EU annual quota of 300,000 hectolitres from Macedonia.