Growing signs of site success for France

Date: 05/12/1996

By Michael Mann

ONE of the EU's most intractable political conundrums is inching slowly towards a conclusion.

Three years after EU leaders failed to settle the issue at a summit in Brussels in December 1993, their foreign ministers are close to agreeing on the site for Europe's plant varieties office.

Following the repeated failure of agriculture ministers to choose between the eight candidates, their foreign ministry counterparts have pledged to come to “an understanding” when they meet to lay the groundwork for next week's Dublin summit tomorrow (6 December).

The bookmakers' favourite to win the right to play host to this most coveted of EU bodies - which is responsible for controlling and authorising new varieties of plants and ensuring their quality and compatibility with Union law - is the French town of Angers, not least because this is the area where Foreign Minister Hervé de Charette has his parliamentary seat.

“We have come under intense pressure from France to drop our application,” said a diplomat from one of the other candidate countries. But he added: “During the process we hope we have won concessions on whatever may be up for grabs in the future.”

The Dutch town of Wageningen, already home to the Netherlands' national office, was thought to be a strong candidate. However, a Dutch official admitted this week: “It is very likely that a choice will be made this time and that Angers will win. If there is a possibility of consensus, we will try to secure agreement. If there is not, we will come back into the race.”

Under the unwritten rules which govern the carve-up of sites and jobs for the various EU agencies between the 15 member states, the Netherlands' case has been undermined by the appointment earlier this year of Dutchman Bart Kiewiet as the plant office's first president. Only one thing now appears to stand in the way of a major public relations coup for De Charette - the UK government.

British officials talk of a “vigorous charm offensive” by the French, but insist that “our proposal for Cambridge is the best bid, and every single member state has the absolute right of veto”.

As far as London is concerned, Angers is far from a done deal, even if some other member states have apparently decided it is time that the issue was sorted out.

Opponents of the plan to site the office in France have also expressed surprise at the Austrians' willingness to throw in the towel.

Clearly reluctant to take anything for granted, French officials insist that Angers is just one of several possibilities. But following the decision to place the veterinary and plant health office in Irish Prime Minister John Bruton's parliamentary constituency, they remain quietly confident.