The Common Agricultural Policy 2023-2027. How do member states implement the new delivery model?

Abstract

All Member States submitted the final version of the CAP Strategic Plan (CSP) 2023-2027 to the European Commission by 31 December 2022. The CSPs approved by the Commission, given the relevant innovations introduced by the New Delivery Model, make specific choices in response to national needs and a programming approach typical of each country. The article aims to provide a synoptic reading of MSs’ choices in the CSPs, to identify common strategic paths and national peculiarities. This analysis is realized comparing the Strategic Statements against the financial allocation in each CSP. The contribution exploits both qualitative and quantitative data and information derived from the CSPs 2023-2027. The dataset is based on the Strategic Statements of each country, and the corresponding financial allocation arising from the overviews of the CSP published by the European Commission. The article is based on a two steps analysis: a Text Mining-Clustering technique, the results of which are assessed against the analysis of the financial allocation by type of intervention conducted by the Balassa index and Concentration ratio. The Strategic Statements are sometime inconsistent with the policy mix defined in the budget allocation by type of intervention. Clusters based on Strategic Statements don’t always seem to be fully in line with the actual “policy shape” defined in the budget allocation. Some interventions appear to be more discriminating than others in defining the different policy patterns. Regulatory constraints limit the margins of manoeuvre of MSs, although some of them move to voluntarily go beyond minimum commitments, highlighting specific policy choices. These choices are related to the national context in which the CAP operates, and this implies a different use of the available tools to achieve similar goals with different groups of interventions.