In response to the reforms proposed by the Common Agricultural Policy, massive demonstrations are taking place on the streets of Brussels by farmers protesting against the Mansholt Plan.
A convinced European federalist, however, Mansholt envisioned a common agricultural policy for Europe. In 1950, he drafted a plan for a common market for agricultural products in Europe, with a supranational administrative structure. This plan, although unsuccessful at the time, was revived about 20 years later and served as an inspiration for the agricultural policy of the European Economic Community. Mansholt found the opportunity to promote his plans for a common policy when he assumed the duties of Commissioner for Agriculture in the first European Commission in 1958.
