In this interview, Georges Rencki, Head of Division responsible for the policy to modernise agricultural structures in the Directorate-General for Agriculture (1968–1977), discusses how the Council’s failure to adopt Mansholt’s proposal on reducing farming area and herd size on 24 March 1972 affected agricultural production and the public perception of the CAP.

In this interview, Georges Rencki, Director responsible for coordinating national policies in the Directorate-General for Regional Policy (1977–1988), describes the creation and beginnings of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and emphasises the importance of this financial mechanism as an element of solidarity between the Member States.