This article deals with the transformation of socio-structural policies in the EEC, through the study of agricultural budgets in the EAGGF (79-91) and the study of some national budgets. The two motors of the policy changes were the rising hegemony of market constraints and the enlarging of the EEC. The socio-structural policies have thus evolved from the encouragement of productive development towards an effort to maintain the cohesion of an heterogeneous EEC. But this policy of cohesion comes up against unequal capacities for administrative and financial management in the member States. Examples are given for subsidies to investment and for LFA. More generally, the authors point out the considerable autonomy of national policies, both in the use of Community regulations as well as in the application of national measures.
