Farming

CAP Reform

Rural scene The European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy provides financial support to farmers for a range of farming environmental and rural development activities as well as controlling EU agricultural markets.

 

 

CAP Health Check – Commission Legislative Proposals

On 20 May 2008 the Commission published legislative proposals for the next round of CAP reform, the so called CAP Health Check covering elements outlined in the Commission’s Communication of 20 November 2007.   The Health Check will review the 2003 reforms and contribute to the discussion on the future shape of the CAP.  Defra is conducting a UK public consultation on the Health Check proposals.

UK response to the communciation from the European Commission

On 3 April 2008, Defra responded to the European Commission’s consultation of 20 November 2007, Preparing for the Health Check of the CAP reform.

A Vision for the Common Agricultural Policy

This paper, published in December 2005, sets out a vision for the future of the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy. Its aim is to stimulate and help inform debate.

Although important progress has been achieved recently in reforming the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), it remains the most visible and expensive common policy of the EU, but is increasingly out of step with the need for Europe to respond to the challenges of globalisation. Internationally, it continues to attract criticism, to create tensions in the EU’s relations with trading partners, and to impose significant costs on developing countries. Domestically, it imposes substantial costs on consumers and taxpayers but is inefficient in delivering support to farmers and promoting an attractive rural environment. Indeed much of the CAP still has a negative impact on the environment.

The vision in this paper focuses on where we need to be in 10 to 15 years time, and why. It does not set out a route map for getting there. That must be the subject of debate across Europe.

  • Chapter 1 discusses what a sustainable model of European agriculture might look like.
  • Chapter 2 considers the CAP from a sustainable development perspective and sets out the economic, financial, social and environmental costs to the EU of the CAP.
  • Chapter 3 examines the scope for further reform of the CAP through a series of questions.
  • Chapter 4 sets out the international dimension and the impact of protectionism on developing countries.

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Page last modified: 9 June 2008
Page published: 20 July 2004

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs