ISSCRI

Project member only

Background

A New Cotton Policy (NCP) in Europe was decided in 2004 and enters into effect in 2006.

The ISSCRI Project results from the perception of the need to follow-up and to adjust the NCP as its impacts might not be acceptable to the concerned regions and players.

Indeed, the NCP was debated in Europe

and has been questioned by a recent decision of the European Court of Justice. This is indicative of some lack of interaction between the European Commission and the concerned cotton sectors, damageable to real policy appropriation.

The need for adjustment also derives from external reasons.

The EU cotton policy has been criticized in the WTO arena, notably by African countries. The NCP hence has to be made coherent with the EU international commitments and its policy towards developing countries, calling upon more interaction between cotton countries in the world.

The interaction between stakeholders, either at national or international levels, cannot be considered as given.

Assistance is needed to help players overcome their apparently diverging interests, in the framework of a process which can be time consuming.

Scientists, owing to the neutrality they may claim, can help in the assistance to the interaction between cotton stakeholders.

This is in line with the EU policy of having researchers to contribute more in policy orientation.