OECD meat market forecasts gain credibility from the organisation s almost neutral position on agripolitical issues dividing the EU and US, although of course it favours free markets. This even-handedness shows in its Agricultural Outlook acknowledging EU farm policy reform as likely to result in less reliance on subsidised exports and public stocks for most commodities . Nevertheless, in an assessment likely to disappoint though not greatly surprise traders in the UK beef market, it warns the Agenda 2000 reforms have not gone nearly far enough to close the gap between EU and world prices and therefore cannot allow the complete abandonment of export subsidies and intervention. {{MEAT}}