INTERVIEW: Daniel Guéguen

Date: 26/10/1995

By Michael Mann

'Europe will never be built if we cannot respect national differences. We cannot oblige somebody to do something he does not want to do. I am French and have the French psychology, but I am often impressed by British and Dutch realism and German pragmatism'.

IF Secretary-General Daniel Guéguen is anything to go by, the winds of change are blowing through COPA/ COGECA, the umbrella bodies representing the EU's farmers and agricultural co-operatives.

In his first year with the organisation, the genial 46-year-old Breton has set out to broaden its appeal and influence beyond its traditional agricultural constituency. Six 'happy' years in charge of the European sugar manufacturers' lobby did not prevent Guéguen from “dreaming of COPA/COGECA, because I felt how big its potential was”.

Generally steering clear of specific technical issues, Guéguen's agenda is quite clear.

His hope is that with increasing recognition, his organisation will be given a more central role in the approaching Intergovernmental Conference (IGC), for which it is busy preparing a series of position papers. As happens as a matter of course at national level, all socio-professional bodies must be properly consulted, he insists.

“COPA/COGECA is a credible organisation. Specialists already know that our line is good, but we must make efforts to make ourselves better known. It has fantastic potential and it is my job to extract that to the full,” says Guéguen.

As the author of several books on the workings of the Union, including A practical guide to the EC labyrinth, Guéguen is passionately concerned about the outcome of next year's treaty revision. “In a complex world, we have to go back to basics - I like this English expression. It is vital for the EU to concentrate on its real priorities. One of the big problems is that the Commission has developed too many, often unachievable priorities,” he says.

Guéguen warns against an over-hasty approach: “The more they fail, the faster people want to go. The IGC must simplify, clarify and involve the citizens. If Europe wants to go too fast, Europe will collapse, I am sorry to say. Nothing is perfect in life, but we have to be proud of what we have built.

“But Europe will never be built if we cannot respect national differences. We cannot oblige somebody to do something he does not want to do. I am French and have the French psychology, but I am often impressed by British and Dutch realism and German pragmatism.”

A lobbyist in Brussels for the past seven years, Guéguen believes that the art of lobbying has changed totally in terms of both quantity and quality. “The key is whether you can be representative, professional, well-represented with the media, well-organised and future-oriented. COPA/COGECA has a desire to be open-minded.”

In its past dealings with the press, the organisation was often regarded as taking a negative approach. In future, it will take a global view, try to anticipate policy in all areas and always suggest alternatives if it is unhappy with the Commission line, promises Guéguen.

He also urged the Commission to remember that it was a collegiate body, expressing surprise at how often individual Commissioners flagged up plans for free-trade areas in the press, seemingly without consulting colleagues. “I am French, but I think that on external policy I have my feet on the ground. If we want to move from A to Z, we should start at A.”

On the key issue of the accession of the Central and Eastern European countries and the impact this might have on the whole future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), Guéguen stresses the importance of the farm lobby's presence in Brussels.

“We must integrate everything in an external strategy. We have no other option. Agriculture has been tremendously under threat and still is,” he insists.

But he refused to give a firm opinion on Agriculture Commissioner Franz Fischler's recent speech, which appeared to lay the ground for possible future changes to the CAP, saying he would first discuss the matter with Fischler himself.

COPA/COGECA is however preparing two papers on the question, one proposing short-term simplification measures and the other on the long-term evolution of the policy.

Guéguen believes that the debate on the effects of enlargement on the CAP is over-hasty, in the same way as is that on the whole future of the Union.

“It is incredible that everyone has a solution for tomorrow. Not for decades have we seen a period with so many uncertainties of every sort. We must take our time. Enlargement is not for tomorrow and a long transitional period will be needed. I have the feeling that finally the discussion is becoming more practical, that the attitude has changed.”

Guéguen, founder of Europe's first lobbying school, repeatedly stressed the importance of media communications, not only for his organisation, but also for the institutions of the European Union.

Initial discussions on the IGC have not, Guéguen believes, produced a lot of new ideas.

Purely technical papers are “not the best preparation for a big conference to bring the EU closer to its citizens”, he says, adding: “If the Commission is dreaming of a communications policy, it will have to work with communications people. It is not for civil servants to make communications policy.”

A useful first step would be to “achieve the single market and give a feeling to citizens that things are really progressing. The creation of the single market in 1993 was Europe's last great success, but there is still a lot to do to complete it.”

Guéguen refuses to make any forecasts as to how the Union will look after the IGC. “To achieve something concrete will be terribly difficult, but our aim is first of all to think about the evolution of the institutions in the context of enlargement,” he says.

Guéguen is guarded about whether the European Parliament should gain a greater role in the decision-making process, but suggests increased power could only be accompanied by a more responsible approach. “We need a balance between the future power of the Parliament and the future responsibility of the Parliament.”

He appears to prefer to concentrate on overall policy, leaving individual questions and issues to his team of specialists.

When asked about the Union's green currency system, he defended measures to cushion farmers in strong currency countries from the effects of agrimonetary movements. But his attention soon turned to the wider question of the single currency: “COPA/COGECA is totally in support of the single currency; it is absolutely necessary because a single market is impossible without it.”

Commenting on the recent controversy over comments by Germany's finance minister, he is realistic.

“I was not shocked at all by what Theo Waigel said recently. Germans will not be prepared to abandon the mark for a weaker single currency,” he commented, adding that if other countries were to respect the EMU convergence criteria “the key factor is for them to cut expenses and not increase taxes”.

Should COPA/COGECA gain the hearing Guéguen so desires at next year's IGC, one can only assume that he will have to put his numerous other projects on the back-burner.

Apart from all his other activities, the latest edition of A practical guide to the EU labyrinth is due out in the coming weeks.