Analysis of Agriculture in the European Union

Abstract

With its agricultural policy, the European Union wants to encour­age member states to invest in agricultural production, production and pro­motion of quality agricultural products, care for the environment, develop­ment of rural areas, increase market transparency, and encourage innova­tion in agriculture. The main challenges for agricultural production in the European Union are global market competition, economic and political cri­ses, climate change and rising costs of production factors. The European Union wants to provide support for the sustainable income of agricultural holdings and the stability of the agricultural sector, and it contributes great­ly to the financing of agriculture in the member states. In this way, the aim is to ensure the long-term security of the food supply and the agricultural diversity of the member states. The paper states the objectives of the agri­cultural policy of the European Union, researches and analyzes data on the number of employees in agriculture, the age structure of farmers, the size of agricultural holdings, agricultural and livestock production, fishing and promotional activities of agricultural production in the European Union.