Le redéploiement des concours publics à l'agriculture dans la CEE et en France

Since 1992, price support and other subsidies to agricultural production have cost consumers and taxpayers in OECD countries about US$350 billion a year. These subsidies, moreover, have distorted trade patterns and heightened tensions and conflicts between countries. In 1987, OECD countries committed themselves to reducing total support and to moving from output related subsidies to other policy measures, such as direct payments, which let producers and consumers react to market signals. The main advantage of direct payments is that they can be designed to be less economically distorting while improving support transparency and efficiency. They can be better targeted to farmers whose situations are deemed to warrant such payments. They stand in contrast with market price support measures and other production linked measures of support, which mainly benefit the largest producers who may not warrant such support.