Word: french
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...early July, French President Nicolas Sarkozy will welcome political leaders from across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa to a summit to debate his ambitious agenda for bolstering trade in the region, protecting the environment and cracking down on terrorism and the trafficking of contraband goods, drugs and illegal immigrants. His much touted plan for a union for the Mediterranean looks stillborn. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has worried that it could undermine the European Union; Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has deemed it a colonialist affront to Maghrebi pride. Yet at its core, Sarkozy's plan has an insight that...
...because El Phil is focused on adopting the higher standards that foreign markets expect. He now promotes not only the ability to harvest before European competitors, but also "traceability." His peaches, plums and nectarines are all labeled with the location of his grove, and cool-packed to reach the French coast no more than three to four days after they're picked. In addition to the crop from El Phil's 124 acres (50 ha) in Grombalia, the company plays middleman for watermelons, nuts and dates purchased from the hotter and dryer south of Tunisia. As it's just...
...fearing the political consequences of expensive food. And in Europe, the E.U.'s entrenched system of farm subsidies lets farmers sell their products on the domestic market at lower prices than foreign competitors. Despite his free-trade rhetoric, Sarkozy is not expected to curtail these handouts, which benefit French farmers most...
...controversial agricultural subsidies, threatening to block any deal at the World Trade Organization that jeopardizes Europe's farming industry. And for someone who sets so much on his emollient charm, Sarkozy still has a grating relationship with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose support is crucial if any of the French initiatives are to succeed...
...night before France took on the E.U. presidency, the Eiffel Tower was lit up in a sparkling blue with gold stars, representing the E.U. colors. But earlier in the day, French lorry drivers blocked roads around Paris in protest at rising fuel prices. Such real-life intrusions are more likely to define Sarkozy's six months at the E.U.'s tiller than a fancy light show...