After his proclamations on Rungis last month, French minister of trade Renaud Dutreil hit the news once again during Bordeaux wholesale market?s 40th anniversary celebrations last week.

He said the French wholesale markets? federation demands for reforming the activity and management of the country?s markets will be included in the soon-to-be-passed bill on ?administration simplification?.

What the markets asked for was common sense: clarification of relationships between market authorities and communities; re-definition of the wholesale market steering committee and the lightening of administrative guardianship.

Some others aspects of this huge reform might have a positive impact on the markets? every-day life. They should be pleased. Everything asked for should be forthcoming. This will give markets more freedom to take their destiny into their own hands. And the minister was clear; legislative and regulatory aspects will be quickly processed and be in place by the end of the year.

But the government obviously didn?t want to give up what it is doing so well. A new measure could be introduced, creating the possibility for a legal entity to participate in the management of the markets, according to strategic choices. Some wholesalers have raised an eyebrow to this, as it could pave the way for plain and simple privatisation if carried to its most extreme.

On the other hand, this might appear helpful if a community is not able to run its own market.

The markets do not speak with one voice on the topic, but the debate is not to judge the qualities and disadvantages of one system or the other. To maintain food security, choice and commercial loyalty at the high levels now in place, the concept of national interest should definitely be taken into consideration.