According to the ricardian international trade theory, it is the interest of the countries to specialize themselves in the productions where they have comparative cost-advantages. This paper, which relies on the results of a study of costs of production executed by the National Institute of Agricultural Research in connection with the EEC and the National Institute of Statistics and Economical Studies, tries to estimate if this theory can be verified in the European agriculture. The paper shows that if the agricultural specializations of the EEC member States are effectively in relation with their comparative cost-advantages, nevertheless, several factors weaken the correlation : "induced" specializations (for example barley by pig-production) ; gaps between costs and benefits in relationship with the system of prices ; differentiation of the products.
