Austria's Agriculture and Forestry and the EC. The Consequences of Integration in Brief

The effects of Austria's integration into the EC's internal market would be particularly severe for the agricultural sector because agricultural products have been exempt from free trade between Austria and the EC, and because the competitive position of Austria's agriculture and food industry is rather weak. Moreover, Austria's goals and instruments of agricultural policy differ from those of the EC. If no supportive measures are agreed upon, EC membership would impose revenue and income losses on agriculture. The decisive advantage of integration would be free access to EC markets.