¿Competitivas o complementarias? El debate agrario francoespañol en la transición democrática, 1975-1982

Abstract

Delays in the accession of Spain to the EEC have always been attributed to agricultural issues between France and Spain, involving market competition involving crops from both countries. More than forty years later, the economic factor is still thought to be the most critical in this issue. However, there are scarcely any quantitative studies to date that have shown whether the competitive situation was real. The aim of this paper is to analyse and compare agricultural production and yield statistics from France and Spain, in order to determine if agriculture was competitive or complementary in these two countries. Opinions from both governments are also included, to better understand political factors in this situation. This took place during the Spanish transition to democracy (1975-1982), a time of internal instability accompanied by the difficulties of integration in the EEC and within the international context of the Cold War.