Common Agricultural Policy Reform Research Articles

The influence of fine-scale habitat heterogeneity on invertebrate assemblage structure in upland semi-natural grassland

The Scottish uplands consist of a variety of semi-natural habitats of high nature value that are typically managed by extensive livestock grazing. However, as a result of the decoupling of financial subsidies from production in the recent Common Agricultural Policy reform, sheep numbers in the uplands have significantly declined and there is concern that the conservation value of these habitats is at risk. A large-scale experiment that manipulated sheep grazing management provided an excellent opportunity to examine the influence of fine-scale habitat characteristics on invertebrate assemblages. A Geographical Information System was used to extract habitat data at four spatial scales ranging from 0.25 m to 5.0 m in ellipses around pitfall transects. Multivariate analyses were applied to determine the most appropriate spatial scale and the primary habitat characteristics influencing three categories of invertebrates (i.e., mobile arthropods, immobile invertebrates and carabid beetles). Sites that were grazed year-round, and thus more intensively, were associated with smaller mobile arthropods (e.g., money spiders), tipulid larvae and earthworms, while sites that were grazed during summer months only were associated with larger mobile arthropods (e.g., wolf spiders and Carabus beetles) and sawfly and lepidopteran larvae. Grazing regime and the area of fine and broad-leaved grasses were found to influence all three groups of invertebrates at a range of spatial scales, thus indicating the importance of these variables in predicting assemblage structure. The optimum spatial scale at which to collect associated habitat information was from within 0.25 m for immobile invertebrates, and from within 3 m for mobile arthropods and carabids. This supports the hypothesis that immobile invertebrates react to their surrounding habitat at a finer spatial scale than mobile invertebrates and draws into question the effectiveness of collecting habitat information from directly adjacent to the pitfall traps when studying mobile arthropods.

Agricultural land use and Skylark Alauda arvensis: a case study linking a habitat association model to spatially explicit change scenarios

The development of forward scenarios is a useful method of envisaging the environmental implications of potential changes in land use, as a tool for policy development. In this paper, a spatially explicit case study is used to provide insight into the environmental impacts of Common Agricultural Policy reform on Skylark Alauda arvensis, a species which is widespread on arable farmland, breeds in crops and has declined in recent decades. A generalized linear mixed model was used to estimate Skylark breeding population densities in different crops, using survey data collected from farms in the east of England, supplemented by the literature. Model outputs were then used to predict Skylark densities in an East Anglian Joint Character Area dominated by arable cropping. Predicted densities were mapped at field level using GIS, based on actual cropping derived from Integrated Administration and Control System data collected for the administration of subsidy payments. Three future scenarios were then created, based on expert opinion of potential changes in cropping over the next 5 years, and potential changes in Skylark density mapped on the basis of the predicted changes in cropping patterns. Overall, Skylark densities were predicted to decrease on average by 11–14% under ‘market‐led’ (increasing wheat and oilseed rape, reduced set‐aside) and ‘energy crop’ (5% area under short rotation coppice) scenarios, but remained virtually unchanged under an ‘environment‐led’ (diverse cropping) scenario. The ‘market‐led’ scenario is closest to short‐term agricultural trajectories, but wider cultivation of biomass energy crops as modelled under the ‘energy crop’ scenario could occur in the medium term if energy policies are favourable. Appropriate mitigation strategies therefore need to be implemented if a continued decline in the Skylark population on lowland arable farmland is to be averted. The results provide a readily accessible visualization of the potential impacts of land‐use change for policy‐makers; similar techniques could be applied to visualize effects of changes arising through other drivers, including climate change.

The EU Sugar Protocol

For the last half century, the European sugar regime has remained largely unscathed by domestic Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reforms and this was no less the case when EU trade ministers met on 26 June 2003. However, in light of recent developments, the sugar regime currently in place, which will expire in 2006, faces pressures to reform from various fronts, including a WTO dispute (which the EU lost,. although the panel report has been appealed), WTO negotiations on agriculture in the context of the Doha Development Round as well as the recent enlargement of the EU in Eastern Europe. This will almost certainly mean that sugar, and the Sugar Protocol, will be subject to far-reaching reforms.

Utilisation of the direct EU payments in Slovak agriculture after the 2003 Common Agricultural Policy reform

The paper analyses and compares the EU direct payments in the conditions of the Slovak Republic during the monitored period 2004–2006. The 2003 reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (hereafter CAP) introduces a considerable simplification of the EU producers’ support and a general improvement of the market orientation of agriculture. The Slovak Republic has temporarily adopted the system of the Single Area Payment Scheme (SAPS) which is used in the old member states. The Slovak Republic can use this system until the end of the year 2010. The amount of the direct payments in 2004 was 53.1% of the EU average. The prediction for 2007 was 70% of the EU average, provided that the state co-finances 30%.

Impacts of Decoupled Agricultural Support on Farm Structure, Biodiversity and Landscape Mosaic: Some EU Results

AbstractThe decoupling of direct payments from production represents a substantial reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Farmers are no longer required to produce commodities to be entitled to support but only to keep land in Good Environmental and Agricultural Condition. If output declines as a result, there is concern that landscape services produced jointly with commodities will also decline. The aim of this paper is to assess the long‐term effects of the 2003 reform on farm structure, landscape mosaic and biodiversity for a sample of EU regions. Impacts are quantified using a spatial agent‐based modelling approach by simulating agricultural development with links to indicators of landscape value. Our results demonstrate that eliminating the link between support payments and production has possible negative consequences for the landscape, but only under particular circumstances. It is shown that these effects could be offset by strengthening (Pillar II) agri‐environmental schemes. Further the single payment scheme results in higher land rental prices which reduces its ability to achieve its goal of providing income security for farmers. Implications of these results for the direction of continued CAP reform are discussed.

Macroeconomic and welfare effects of the CAP reform and further decoupling of agricultural support in Finland: A CGE modelling approach

Abstract We evaluate the overall economic effects of decoupled agricultural payments in Finland. The EU Common Agricultural Policy reform implemented in 2006 means shifting farm subsidies from production output and capital to farmland. Since decoupling seems to be a prominent trend in agricultural policy, we also simulate a case in which some national subsidies are decoupled from production as well. The decoupled support is tied equally to the hectares of arable land owned by farmers, other entrepreneurs, white and blue collar workers, pensioners and other households. This study takes the ownership structure of farmland between these household groups explicitly into account. We evaluate the overall impact of these changes on agricultural production, income and the welfare of various households. The computable general equilibrium GemRur simulation model of Finland is our working tool. We find that decoupling farm payments from production, especially if extended to national subsidies, will increase agricult...

Relevance of genetically modified crops in light of future environmental and legislative challenges to the agri‐environment

AbstractA key challenge for countries like Ireland up to 2030 is to produce sufficient supplies of food, feed and fuel, without compromising on public health or negatively impacting the environment. As we progress through the technology era, certain agricultural technologies [e.g. genetically modified (GM) crops] have been championed to maximise production while minimising environmental impact. Yet, multiple arguments have been made to counter such a claim, which has led to a polarisation of opinions and a plethora of generic commentaries being made in regard to the impact of this technology. Yet, few studies within the European Union (EU) have conducted a critical needs analysis to assess the potential of specific GM traits in light of issues, such as climate change, increased environmental legislation (e.g. EU Water Framework, Nitrates Directive, proposed reform to the Pesticide Directive and Common Agricultural Policy reform), mitigating biodiversity loss and sustainable biofuel production. The goal of this study is to collate a register of GM traits such that a list of potential GM crops could be prioritised against the backdrop of the challenges facing the tillage sector. Clearly, the crops with the most significant potential for genetic modification are those that are grown widely and/or receive high applications of pesticides and fertilisers (e.g. potato, wheat, barley and maize). GM traits with significant agronomic potential include late blight resistant potato, Fusarium head blight resistant wheat and Septoria resistant wheat and herbicide‐tolerant winter oilseed rape and maize. Following on from these, crops with enhanced nitrogen‐use efficiency could provide significant input to the tillage sector in light of EU‐based restrictions on nitrogen usage, crops with elevated protein content could offset the costs of imported animal feed and crops with modified oil content/lignocellulose composition could assist in biodiesel/bioenergy production at a regional level. This study is relevant to other European countries that cultivate similar crops and like Ireland, are facing multiple challenges to their tillage sector in the near future.

The CAP: Looking Back, Looking Ahead

This paper offers a brief overview of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) from its origins until the present day in order to identify the factors that have been shaping its evolution. It then attempts to evaluate how persistent these trends will be in the future, whether new policy imperatives are gaining relevance in CAP reform and what they imply for the CAP over the coming years. Budget crises, international trade pressures and enlargement have driven the CAP reforms of the last fifteen years. In the future, change will be driven by the need to maintain the economic rationality and political acceptability of agricultural policy in an enlarged European Union of twenty‐seven heterogeneous member states. Further decentralization of decision making and financing can be expected.

Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture and Future Developments of the CAP

Recent reforms of the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) have set in motion a process of increased market orientation in the agricultural sector, a process that will be intensified by trade liberalization if an agreement is reached under the World Trade Organization (WTO). It is widely expected that both CAP reforms and a WTO agreement will also lead to a more environmentally friendly European agriculture. It is conceivable, however, that market demand would instead provide renewed incentives for intensive agricultural production. Opening European agriculture to more competition in the world market could increase pressure to slacken regulatory requirements on agriculture. Thus, the question of whether liberalization will hinder or promote environmentally sustainable production methods in agriculture is unresolved. This paper analyses different scenarios of agricultural policy development and examines their consequences for the promotion of environmentally sustainable agriculture in the EU.

The impact of the 1999 CAP reforms on the efficiency of the COP sector in Spain

AbstractThe cereal, oilseeds, and protein crop sector (COP) occupies a prominent position within the European Union's agricultural sector. Within Spain, the COP sector accounts for almost a third of total Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund expenses, and half of the utilized agricultural area (UAA). The COP sector is not only relevant because of its physical and economic magnitude, but also because of the political attention it receives. The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reforms that occurred during the 1990s paid special attention to this sector. This article aims to determine the impacts of Agenda 2000 on a sample of Spanish COP farmers’ production decisions by using an output‐oriented stochastic distance function. The distance function allows for an assessment of the reform‐motivated changes on total output, input used, input composition, and crop mix. It also permits an assessment of the impacts of the reform on farms’ technical efficiency.Results show that the reform has shifted the production frontier inward and changed output composition in favor of voluntary set‐aside land. With respect to input composition, Agenda 2000 induced a decrease in land, fertilizers, pesticides, and other inputs in favor of labor. In addition, Agenda 2000 has had a negative impact on technical efficiency.

Dependency of organic farms on direct payments in selected EU member states: Today and tomorrow

This paper examines the development of the role of government support in the financial situation of organic farms in selected Western and Eastern European countries, contrasting dependency on direct payments with that of conventional farms and assessing the impact of foreseeable changes in the political and economic environment. The results show that direct payments play an important role in the financial viability of organic farms in both Western and Eastern European countries. The level of specific support for organic farming is put into perspective, as other support payments and market returns contribute larger shares to total farm revenue in all the countries analysed. Modelling analyses show that support payments will continue to play an important role in the profitability of organic farms in Western Europe after implementation of the 2003 reform of Common Agricultural Policy in the EU. For organic farmers in Eastern European countries, the importance of support payments increases strongly with EU accession, as first pillar payments are introduced and environmental payments are expanded significantly.

Impacts of the 2003 CAP Reform on Organic Farms Incidences de la réforme de 2003 de la PAC sur les exploitations biologiques Die Auswirkungen der Reform der GAP von 2003 auf Ökolandbaubetriebe

SummaryImpacts of the 2003 CAP Reform on Organic FarmsThe 2003 reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) constitutes a rather fundamental shift in the agricultural policy of the EU. Many of the individual elements of the reform are likely to affect organic and conventional farms differently. This article analyses the impacts of the 2003 CAP reform on organic farms, combining an extensive survey of organic farmers in several EU member states with a farm modelling approach based on the European Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN). The results highlight that impacts on the relative competitiveness of organic farms will depend strongly on the national implementation of the 2003 CAP reform and will often differ by farm type. In general, the impact will be more beneficial to organic farms in countries that have opted for full rather than partial decoupling, and in countries which have implemented the Single Farm Payment on the basis of regional flat rate payments rather than on the basis of historical, individual farm references. While the reform increases the incentive for conversion to organic farming, the impacts of other policy and market changes over the next ten years remain less clear, making the formulation of strategies for farmers and policy makers difficult and providing challenges for future research.

Politica agricola comunitaria e interessi dei consumatori

Common Agricultural Policy and Consumers’ Interest - Little over a year since the death of Secondo (‘Dino’) Tarditi, the Economics Faculty of the University of Siena organized an international conference,La liberalizzazione del commercio internazionale e le politiche dell’Unione Europea per l'agricoltura e i consumatori (Liberalizing International Trade and European Union Policies for Agriculture and Consumers) to commemorate Secondo Tarditi and his work. This article sums up the topics addressed in the principal contributions, which have analysed the process of European Integration, policies for consumers, Common Agricultural Policy reform and the liberalization of international trade.

Analysis of policy instruments for control of nitrate pollution in irrigated agriculture in Castilla y León, Spain

Irrigated agriculture is one of the most important sources of nitrate pollution of water resources. For this reason, during the past decade, various policies have been proposed in order to prevent this negative impact of farming activities. The aim of this work is therefore to analyze the effects of the joint application of the last Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) reform with different policy instruments designed to mitigate nitrate pollution. To this end, models based on Positive Mathematical Programming have been developed to enable simulating irrigators' productive behaviour in the event of the implementation of these instruments. The results indicate that the latest CAP reform (partial decoupling of subsidies) will by itself lead to an important reduction in nitrate pollution. If this reduction is not regarded as being sufficient, other specific policy instruments could further reduce this source of pollution. In this sense, the most suitable one could be the application of nitrogen fertilization quotas.

Ekonomia polityczna reform Wspólnej Polityki Rolnej

Ekonomia polityczna reform Wspólnej Polityki Rolnej

Statistiques agricoles : Pour des indicateurs de durabilité au niveau de l'exploitation

<titre>R&#233;sum&#233;</titre>Quels sont les objectifs poursuivis et les concepts mobilis&#233;s par la construction des indicateurs du d&#233;veloppement durable (IDD)&#160;? Dans quel contexte institutionnel s&#8217;inscrit en Europe et plus particuli&#232;rement en France leur d&#233;veloppement&#160;? Quels probl&#232;mes de d&#233;finition et de mesure posent-ils&#160;? Enfin, comment s&#8217;inscrit leur usage compte tenu des nouvelles orientations de la Politique agricole commune (PAC)&#160;? Cet article effectue tout d&#8217;abord une revue des concepts impliqu&#233;s dans les IDD jusqu&#8217;ici propos&#233;s. Puis, d&#233;crivant leur int&#233;gration aux syst&#232;mes statistiques europ&#233;en et nationaux, ce texte souligne leur participation &#224; la production de normes environnementales dans le cadre de strat&#233;gies de d&#233;veloppement socio-&#233;conomique, &#224; travers des exemples portant sur l&#8217;am&#233;nagement du territoire, la gestion de la ressource en eau, la qualit&#233; des sols, la gestion des d&#233;chets et l&#8217;exposition aux risques. Dans un contexte national d&#233;crit comme subordonn&#233; &#224; la contrainte communautaire, l&#8217;article montre comment une mesure de la durabilit&#233; des exploitations agricoles s&#8217;ins&#232;re dans le contexte actuel de red&#233;finition de la PAC. Enfin, le texte identifie les d&#233;fis statistiques du court et moyen, plaidant pour le d&#233;veloppement d&#8217;indicateurs individuels de durabilit&#233; l&#233;gitim&#233;s par une rationalit&#233; proc&#233;durale de la communication.

Analysis of the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and of the Health Check Reforms Relating to the Single Area Payment Scheme (SAPS)

The agriculture policy is a vital part of the economical policy. In terms of financing, the EU agricultural budget 2009 represents 41,9% of the general EU budget, which finances the direct aids and market related expenditures (first Pillar), rural development measures (second Pillar) and fishery sector. The CAP reform (2003) had brought out changes for Member States and their farmers such as decoupling of the most direct payments by replacing them with Single Payment Scheme (SPS) and Single Area Payment Scheme (SAPS). Moreover the implementation of Cross-Compliance rules links the full support of direct payments to the farmers respecting environmental, food safety, animal and plant health and animal welfare requirements established at EU and national and regional level. Cross-Compliance means for the EU farmers two types of requirements, the Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions (GAEC) and the Statutory Management Requirements (SMR) which should be respected by the farmers in order to receive their full amount of direct payments. The Health Check (2009) intended to modernise and simplify the CAP. As its results, ten Member States out of EU-12 have been allowed to prolong the period of paying Single Area Payment Scheme (SAPS) until the end of 2013 instead of 2011. Thereby the New Member States have a longer period to adapt to the regulations for the system of Single Payment Scheme that comprehends higher requirements.

Chemical Fertilizers a Thorny Issue for Romania

The reform of the Common Agricultural Policy endorsed the shift from agricultural productivity growth to eliminate the link between grants and production, organic farming and rural development. Presently, the Romanian agriculture faces a crisis of chemical fertilizers. For nearly five decades Romania has developed a significant industry based on production of chemical fertilizers. Currently, this industry is in a state of collapse; the EU rejected the Romania's request to obtain grants for chemical fertilizers because it considers this form of support as aid grants from the state. The fertilizers used in our country are an extremely small quantity, which can not influence too much the European market, but for Romanian farmers and fertilizers producers of it would be the chance of a revival of business. The EU decision to prohibit the offering of grants for fertilizers does not contribute in any way to the increase of the Romanian agriculture competitiveness and is not in the spirit of the CAP policy. When chemical fertilizers are with every day less accessible to the great majority of Romanian farmers, a few solutions for a better use of small quantities which could still be purchased by some farmers could be: increasing of efficiency and reducing the dose by the localized application of fertilizers during sowing, the use of more efficient fertilizer complex. Also, producers (and users too) of fertilizer should focus more on liquid fertilizers which are cheaper. An alternative to the current crisis of fertilizers might be organic farming.

An integrated approach to assess options for multi-functional use of rural areas: special issue “Regional Environmental Change”

The concept of rural development has undergone an important transformation process during the last decades, which went hand-in-hand with changes in the European countryside and new demands from society. In the late 1980s, rural policy underwent a strategic rethinking; in 1988, with the Communication on The Future of Rural Society, the European Commission promoted the idea of ‘‘rural development from within’’, according to which endogenous social and environmental resources were to substitute exogenous resources in rural development policies. In 1992, these ideas influenced the McSharry Reform of the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Besides the beginning of decoupling of agricultural subsidies from production, the most important accompanying measures of the 1992 CAP reform aimed at the promotion of agriculture based on quality production and respect for the environment, including payments to farmers operating in less favoured areas. This was promoted through measures such as the introduction of compulsory set-aside arrangements for arable lands, the adoption of agri-environmental measures, and new afforestation measures. The whole strategy aimed both at the agricultural sector and at the wider economic development of rural areas. In 1996, the Cork Conference on Rural Development promoted the idea of rural development integrating the social, environmental and economic dimensions of rural areas. The ideas of the Cork Declaration were elaborated in the Agenda 2000 strategy (1997) and introduced the Rural Development policy based on the idea of a multifunctional agricultural sector encouraging the development of alternative sources of income in rural areas while safeguarding the environment, which should also help facing the reform of the Common Markets Organisation. The main objectives of the following 1999 CAP Reform regarding rural development, which became the second pillar of the CAP, aimed at the integration of the structural policy into rural development, the promotion of the multifunctional character of agriculture, the improvement of the quality and safety of agricultural production through environmental sustainable practices, and more attention to Member States and specific needs of regions. The 1999 CAP Reform promoted a better integration of rural development and environmental considerations into the CAP, by including all the accompanying measures on support for rural development. Agri-environmental measures became compulsory for rural development plans, while still remaining voluntary for farmers. Finally, the main economic objectives of the 2003 midterm reform were to make the CAP simpler, more consumer and tax payer oriented, to help farmers to become more competitive and more market oriented in their decisions, to safeguard the rural economy and the environment, to facilitate World Trade Organization (WTO) talks through a less trade distorting support system, and to increase the quality of agricultural products. The 2003 CAP R. Simoncini (&) Economic Sciences Department, University of Florence, Via delle Pandette 9, 50127 Florence, Italy e-mail: riccardo.simoncini@unifi.it

New Wine in Old Bottles: Critical Discourse Analysis of the Current Common EU Agricultural Policy Reform Agenda

AbstractA critical discourse analysis of two EU agricultural commissioners' speeches in the period 2000–2006 was carried out and substantiated by rational choice theory. The analysis reveals how the latest Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reforms have been gradually overturning prevailing CAP discourses. The neo‐mercantilism discourse that dominated for decades has been replaced by the discourse of multifunctionality. With the change of commissioners in 2004, the emphasis on the multifunctionality discourse has changed. The legitimisation of the CAP with environmental and rural public goods has been replaced by less well‐articulated arguments of ‘quality production’ and ‘competitiveness’, implying a gradual move to a neoliberal orientation for the future CAP.