Common Agricultural Policy Research Articles

Exploring the Motives Behind the Adoption of Climate Change Adaptation Strategies among Farmers in the Czech Republic

AbstractClimate change threatens agriculture in the EU and is a primary issue discussed in the European Green Deal within the Common Agricultural Policy. Central and Eastern European countries are particularly prone to climate change effects, such as droughts and extreme weather. Therefore, agriculture in Central and Eastern Europe is expected to be increasingly affected by shifting climatic patterns. This study examines the motivation for adopting adaptation strategies derived from climate-smart agriculture among farmers in the Czech Republic. We drew particular attention to analyzing the influence of farm-level and information source variables on the adaptation behavior of Czech farmers. The dataset comprises 358 respondents who were asked about climate change adaptation through a quantitative survey. We analyzed the collected data via descriptive statistics and binary logit regression models. The analysis results reveal a high degree of awareness and a diversified usage of climate change adaptation strategies among the respondents. The close linkage between perceived profitability and the willingness to adapt to climate change requires policymakers to communicate economic benefits within this context further. Information sources, such as topic-specific journals, research institutions, and field training, positively influenced the adaptation rates among the sample. Therefore, we recommend focusing on these media channels to communicate targets set within the European Green Deal.

The Setting-Up Measure to Support Generational Renewal in Agriculture: The Italian Experience

Since the 1970s, the issue of ageing farmers and generational renewal in agriculture has consistently attracted the attention of policymakers. However, despite successive reforms of the European Union Structural Funds, efforts to encourage young people to enter the agricultural sector remain largely focused on agricultural and rural policies, specifically on the First Settlement scheme. This paper highlights the role of the European Union’s rural development policy in supporting and encouraging generational renewal in agriculture. A qualitative analysis of the Italian case examining some of the demographic changes that have occurred within the agricultural system at the regional level has been conducted. The analysis is based on the comparison of policy implementations in different programming periods. Using data from the General Censuses of Agriculture and the Italian Agricultural Payments Agency—supplemented by the Annual Implementation Reports of the Italian Rural Development Programmes—the research traces the evolution of initiatives supporting young farmers. The main findings reveal a notable decline in the number of young people in the primary sector over the last decade, together with an ageing population of agricultural farmers. Measures to support young farmers under the Common Agricultural Policy appear to be ineffective in countering the ageing trend. There is scope for integrated policies to enhance the attractiveness and profitability of rural areas and to ensure long-term sustainable generational renewal in the agricultural sector.

Land of wolves, school of shepherds: the importance of pastoral knowledge on co-existence with large carnivores

ABSTRACT The wolf (Canis lupus) is recovering and recolonizing its historic range in Europe. In places where wolves have long been absent, their recent recolonization could potentially provoke extensive livestock farmers’ opposition. To understand the conditions for extensive grazing-wolf co-existence, we conducted interviews with livestock farmers and shepherds to compare three Spanish regions in different wolf presence states: uninterrupted wolf presence, recent wolf recolonization and sporadic wolf presence. Our results show the importance of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) for reducing conflict and enabling co-existence. In areas where wolves were extinct and have been recently recolonized, loss of TEK has led to less of both tolerance to wolves and awareness of the benefits they provide. Conversely, in areas where wolf presence has been uninterrupted, maintaining the TEK associated with livestock management, such as use of mastiff dogs and shepherd's role, has favored the co-existence of extensive grazing systems with wolves. Our findings have important implications for the EU Common Agricultural Policy by highlighting the urgent need to integrate the close link between TEK and the co-existence of extensive grazing systems with large carnivores. Furthermore, the EU Nature Restoration Law could reinforce these same approaches.

Rural land systems both support and hinder the Sustainable Development Goals across Europe

AbstractAchieving sustainable rural land systems, including farms and forestry, is essential to achieve the European Union’s goal of fair and healthy food systems while becoming climate-neutral and halting biodiversity loss. Here we quantitatively assess the environmental and socioeconomic sustainability of rural land systems in Europe using spatial hotspot analyses based on 15 environmental and 9 social sustainability indicators from the European Sustainable Development Goals and the Common Agricultural Policy. We find high subsidy support for under-performing sustainability areas and low sustainability performance in areas producing the most calories. However, we identified two brightspots with good environmental and socioeconomic performance (Nordics and Central Europe), and five dragspots hindering sustainability: the Balkans, the Lowlands, Northern Italy, Southern Italy and Malta, and Southern Spain. Redirecting support to reward social and environmental benefits from land use can help achieve sustainability goals.

Common Agricultural Policy’s (CAP) Administrative Simplification. Environmental Conditionality After The Early Review Of 2024

Resumen: Las protestas agrícolas de 2024 impulsaron la necesidad de que las Administraciones competentes modificaran de forma anticipada la condicionalidad ambiental de la Política Agraria Común (PAC) mediante una nueva revisión, de tendencia simplificadora y flexibilizadora, de un complejo régimen jurídico-administrativo como es el que regula la política agraria europea en la actualidad. A pesar de su corta vida, cabe analizar los pros y contras de esta recentísima reforma a fin de extraer una serie de conclusiones anticipadas sobre el futuro que aguarda a la PAC tras la adopción del Reglamento de simplificación. Abstract: The farmers’ protests of 2024 prompted the need for the competent administrations to modify in advance the environmental conditionality of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) by means of a new revision simplifying and making a complex legal-administrative system such as the one that currently regulates European agricultural policy more flexible. Despite its short life, it is worth analyzing the pros and cons of this very recent reform in order to draw a series of early conclusions on the future that awaits the CAP after the adoption of the simplification Regulation. Palabras clave: Política Agraria Común. Simplificación administrativa. Condicionalidad ambiental. Protestas agrícolas. Sector agrario español. Keywords: Common Agricultural Policy. Administrative simplification. Environmental conditions. Farmers’ protests. Spanish agricultural sector. Índice: 1. Introducción 2. Origen y evolución de la PAC 2.1. Primer periodo (1957–1984) 2.2. Segundo periodo (1985–2020) 3. Momento actual (2023–2027) 3.1. Antecedentes: el Pacto Verde Europeo 3.2. La reforma del año 2021 3.2.1. Características de la reforma 3.2.2. Los planes estratégicos 3.3. Las intervenciones y su condicionalidad 3.3.1. Primer pilar 3.3.2. Segundo pilar 3.3.3. La arquitectura ambiental de la PAC 4. La PAC en España 4.1. La situación del sector agrario español 4.2. Recepción de la reforma del 2021 en España 5. La simplificación de la PAC 5.1. La crisis social agraria de 2024 5.2. Simplificación administrativa y flexibilización 5.3. Solución: la revisión anticipada 5.3.1. Respuesta desde España 5.3.2. Respuesta desde la UE 5.4. Los claroscuros de la revisión 6. Conclusiones 7. Bibliografía 8. Anexos Index: 1. Introduction 2. Origin and development of the CAP 2.1. First period (1957–1984) 2.2. Second period (1985–2020) 3. Current moment (2023–2027) 3.1. Background: European Green Deal 3.2. The 2021 reform 3.2.1. Reform features 3.2.2. CAP Strategic Plans 3.3. CAP support and cross-compliance 3.3.1. First pillar 3.3.2. Second pillar 3.3.3. CAP environmental architecture 4. CAP in Spain 4.1. Situation of Spain's agricultural sector 4.2. Reception of the 2021 reform in Spain 5. CAP simplification 5.1. The agricultural social crisis of 2024 5.2. Administrative simplification and flexibilisation 5.3. Solution: early review 5.3.1. Spain’s response 5.3.2. EU’s response 5.4. Pros and cons of the review 6. Conclusions 7. Bibliography 8. Annex

Declining interest in afforestation under the common agricultural policy. Evidence from Poland and Lithuania

Land afforestation is an important aspect of forested land development. Increasing the area of forest areas through the reforestation of uncultivated, abandoned or agriculturally unsuitable land is considered an important way to diversify economic activities in order to reduce dependence on agricultural activities and improve environmental conditions in rural areas. The main objective of the study is to identify the factors affecting the afforestation of agricultural land carried out in the years 2004–2020 by farmers under the individual financial perspectives of the Rural Development Programme (RDP) in Poland and Lithuania. The study included a review of Polish and Lithuanian regulations aimed at providing financial support for afforestation under the RDP. Moreover, a comparative analysis of the rules and criteria for financial support for afforestation in relation to selected socio-economic indicators of the two countries was carried out. Based on the study results, it can be clearly stated that in both Poland and Lithuania, the support for afforestation under the RDP fails to meet the beneficiaries’ expectations. It would, therefore, be advisable to adapt the Programme to the changing economic conditions and keep the afforested land under the RDP under technical supervision. Support for afforestation should be continued to ensure the improvement in land use and the enhancement of the prospects for long-term economic activity in rural areas as well as to implement the assumptions of the green economy.

Permanent pastures identification in Portugal using remote sensing and multi-level machine learning

IntroductionThe Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is a vital policy framework implemented by the European Union to regulate and support agricultural production within member states. The Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS) is a key component that provides reliable land identification for administrative control procedures. On-the-spot checks (OTSC) are carried out to verify compliance with CAP requirements, typically relying on visual interpretation or field visits. However, the CAP is embracing advanced technologies to enhance its efficiency.MethodsThis study focuses on using Sentinel-2 time series data and a two-level approach involving recurrent neural networks (RNN) and convolutional neural networks (CNN) to accurately identify permanent pastures.ResultsIn the first step, using RNN, the model achieved an accuracy of 68%, a precision of 36%, a recall of 97% and a F1-score of 52%, which indicates the model’s ability to identify all the true positive parcels (correctly identified permanent pasture parcels) and minimize the false negative parcels (non-identified permanent pasture parcels). This occurs due to the difficulty in distinguishing between permanent pastures and other similar land covers (such as temporary pastures and shrublands). In the second step, it was possible to distinguish the permanent pasture parcels from the others. The obtained results improved significantly from the first to the second step. Using CNN, an accuracy of 93%, a precision of 89%, and a recall of 98% were achieved for the “Permanent pasture” class. The F1-score was 94%, indicating a balanced measure of the model’s performance.DiscussionThe integration of advanced technologies in the CAP’s control mechanisms, as demonstrated, has the potential to automate the verification of farmers’ declarations and subsequent subsidy payments.

Az agrárszektor EU forrásokra alapozó támogatása Hargita megyében

Considering the significant agricultural involvement in Hargita county, the research of the topic is of outstanding importance. In order to research the field of the utilization of subsidies, it is necessary to first examine how and to what extent the farmers use these Common Agricultural Policy funds. The aim of this study is to provide an overview of the subsidy practices in Hargita county, providing the groundwork for more detailed research on the topic.

The Clash of the Policies: The Joint Effect of EU Cohesion Policy and Common Agricultural Policy on the Public Support for European Integration

AbstractA vital element of the European Union (EU) political system is the idea of further European integration. Whilst most existing works investigate the effects of the Cohesion Policy (CP), only a handful of studies consider the effects of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) on citizens' support for European integration. In this contribution, I argue that these two largest EU redistribution policies neutralise each other in their effects on the citizens' support for European integration: the CP improves public support due to its positively perceived redistributive nature and positive externalities, whilst the CAP decreases public support due to due to a limited target audience, somewhat elitarian distribution of resources and bureaucratic complexities. Using regional‐level CP and CAP data for 2017 and Eurobarometer surveys for 2018 and 2019, the empirical findings of multilevel regressions show that the CAP counteracts the positive effects of the CP on citizens' support for further European integration. The findings are robust to including a wide range of control variables, sample size change and alternative specifications of key independent variables. These findings also hint that policy evaluations should not disregard the differences between various policy instruments.

Successes and Failures of the Implementation of the Rural Development Programme 2014–2020 Measure “Agri-Environment and Climate” in Lithuania

The focus on environment and climate-friendly farming is increasingly important in the European Union (EU) Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Activities of the Measure M10 “Agri-environment and Climate” of the Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2014–2020 were those policy instruments that pursued environmental and climate goals over large areas under agricultural activities, but their effectiveness is still being questioned. After evaluating implementation successes and failures of the activities of the Measure M10 “Agri-environment and Climate” of the Lithuanian RDP 2014–2020, we aim to contribute to policy instruments that are better designed, more effective, and more attractive for farmers to achieve environmental and climate goals. This research was conducted in several stages: (1) a thorough analysis of the Measure M10 and its implementation; (2) analysis of the Measure M10 activities’ contribution to the policy target areas; (3) multi-criteria evaluation of the activities; (4) survey of beneficiaries and discussions in the focus groups. The data available from the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania, Agricultural Data Center, and National Paying Agency under Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania was used for the analysis. Analysis of the strategic documents and data on the implementation of Measure M10 was supplemented with results from studies focused on the environmental impact of the implementation of Measure M10 in Lithuania. Multi-criteria evaluation methods were used to arrange the activities of the Measure with respect to the selected indicators. The results from the survey of beneficiaries and discussions in the focus groups let us better clarify the motives, experiences, and preferences of farmers’ participation in the activities of Measure M10. The questionnaire was distributed to 2455 beneficiaries through the National Paying Agency and 342 answers were received back, i.e., 13.9%. Five discussions in focus groups, formed from farmers participating and not participating in the activities, representatives of implementing institutions, and employees of consulting and scientific institutions, were organized. The research has revealed areas for improvement in Measure M10, and suggestions for improvement were prepared to better achieve environmental and climate objectives.

How Can Overinvestment in Farms Affect Their Technical Efficiency? A Case Study from Poland

Farm overinvestment is highly dangerous in how it affects productivity and profitability. Therefore, it imperatively needs to be measured in the context of investment support offered under the Common Agricultural Policy. In turn, technical efficiency is one of the best methods for measuring farm investment. This paper analyzes the technical efficiency of 3273 Polish farms based on unpublished FADN (Farm Accountancy Data Network) data from 2010–2019. The purpose of this study was to indicate the level of, and changes in, technical efficiency of Polish farms in function of their investment levels, with particular emphasis on overinvested holdings. Technical efficiency was examined using stochastic frontier analysis (SFA). The study proved a decline in technical efficiency in underinvested farms and in those affected by absolute overinvestment (i.e., ones where the assets-to-labor ratio grows while labor productivity drops).

Decision-Making Model to Support Agricultural Policies in Realizing Economic and Social Sustainability

Abstract Background Achieving economic and social sustainability is the goal of any policy when defining measures. We focus on the beef sector, where many challenges have arisen due to its structural characteristics, such as an unfavourable scale structure, high costs, low efficiency, and a low environmental footprint. This paper presents an example of the support provided by a mathematical programming model in the development of a Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan for the period 2023-2027. Methods/approach It is a model based on linear programming that allows such an ex-ante analysis by calculating production plans at the farm level and aggregating the results at the sector level. Objectives When defining the interventions, the question arose as to what the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy will bring and to what extent the sector should be supported in meeting these challenges. These were the concerns of agricultural policy that we sought to support by modelling different scenarios. Results The results show that the situation of the sector will worsen, especially for larger farms, but they also show the great importance of production-related payments to mitigate the negative trend. Conclusions The applied approach proves to be suitable for supporting the design of agricultural policy and achieving greater economic and social sustainability in the sector.

Farmland Degradation in the Czech Republic: Drivers and Barriers of Mitigation Strategies in Agricultural Soils

ABSTRACTIn line with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 15.3, which aims to restore degraded land and soil, and the priorities of the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) to mitigate environmental issues caused by intensive agriculture, understanding the factors influencing farmers' adoption of soil conservation practices (SCPs) is crucial. However, there is still a limited understanding of these specific factors, particularly in the context of the Czech Republic. This study investigates the perceptions and determinants influencing the adoption of SCPs among farmers in the Czech Republic. We analyzed 358 randomly selected farm households using probit and multivariate probit models. Our results show that a significant number of farmers perceive soil degradation as an important problem, attributing it to factors such as low soil nutrient content, declining soil humus, water and wind erosion. The results of our analysis showed positive associations for perceived effectiveness and profitability, indicating that farmers tend to adopt practices such as minimum tillage, mulching, mixed cropping, cover cropping, and continuous soil cover when these methods are perceived to be effective and profitable. Conversely, negative associations are found for perceptions of soil degradation and education, suggesting potential barriers to adoption with higher levels of perceived soil degradation and education. The study also highlights the complex interplay of information sources on adoption, with both positive and negative trends. In light of these findings, we propose recommendations, including that awareness campaigns should be tailored to address perceptions of soil degradation, and that the use of peer networks and information dissemination from research institutions can bridge the gap between scientific recommendations and on‐farm practices. Policy makers and agricultural extension services should work together to develop targeted strategies that take into account regional differences in the factors influencing adoption and ultimately promote widespread adoption of SCPs.

Does the European Union Start-Up Aid Help Young Farmers to Innovate and to Join Networks?

The endurance and vitality of European agriculture are threatened by the aging of farmers, together with the lack of generational change. The small share of young farmers also impacts on the innovative capacity and competitiveness of the sector. The Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union started addressing the issue long ago by providing financial aid to help young farmers to start up. Over time, the aid increased and packages of measures were set to reinforce the aid and to promote investments, innovations, and networks at the farm level. While the literature focuses on analyzing the effectiveness of the start-up aid in fostering new entries, this paper assumes an original perspective as it seeks to assess whether this aid has actually promoted innovations and networks in the beneficiary farms. The analysis relies on sample data collected in 2021 in Italy and Poland via interviews of 500 farmers under 40 who had entered the sector both with and without the aid. A probit model estimates whether the beneficiaries have a higher probability to innovate and network. Then, the contribution of the aid to the intensity of the adoption of innovations and networks is estimated via an Average Treatment Effect on the Treated model (ATT). Results suggest that the start-up aid increased the adoption of innovations and networks. The ATT indicates that this positive effect holds even after correcting for self-selection bias. By adopting an original perspective, our analysis suggests that the start-up aid for young farmers goes beyond rejuvenating agriculture by fostering innovation at the farm level and by promoting networking, thus enhancing agricultural change. However, farmer behaviors in the two countries are different, suggesting quite complex patterns for the impact of this measure.

Stability of food security in EU member states – does the common agricultural policy ensure resilience of food systems during crises?

Stability of food security in EU member states – does the common agricultural policy ensure resilience of food systems during crises?

Beekeeping and agropastoralism interactions through floral resources in the French Mount Lozère

Beekeeping has faced increasing difficulties during the past decades, among which is the decline in floral resources. Agriculture provides essential floral resources for beekeeping, but some farming practices have also been shown to be responsible for their decline. To provide floral resources for beekeeping, what type of agricultural transformation should be promoted, and how? To answer these questions, we still lack knowledge about the floral resources that are used by beekeeping and about the technical-economic obstacles that farmers face in implementing more favorable farming practices, particularly in agropastoral settings. To help fill these gaps, we develop a novel approach that frames both agropastoral farming and beekeeping as farming systems, by characterizing the beekeeping systems of a given place, the floral resources they use, and the impacts these farming systems have on floral resources. This approach is applied to the agropastoral landscapes of Mount Lozère, southern France, using a methodology based on semi-structured interviews with farmers and beekeepers addressing the agronomical functioning of their farms. We demonstrate that the floral resources used by beekeepers on Mount Lozère are threatened by the current dominant agricultural development paths, which seek to maximize the material productivity of labor. Such paths lead to the intensification of agricultural practices in harvested areas and the extensification of rangelands. These pathways are reinforced by the low remuneration of agropastoral labor and by the current rules of the European Union Common Agricultural Policy. “Frugal” farming, a farming system based on reduced inputs and investments, and labor-intensive practices, namely, a labor-intensive use of pasture, seems an effective way to produce floral resources. Both, agropastoral farmers and beekeepers, would benefit from an increase in the number of agricultural workers in agropastoral landscapes. This calls for public policies that promote a better remuneration of agropastoral labor, either directly or by driving market mechanisms.

From needs to policy action: Italian agri-food districts as a case of territorial cooperation

In the context of ecological and social challenges in global food systems, this study investigates the potential of agri-food districts to foster balanced territorial development. A multi-step approach to developing sustainable agri-food districts is outlined. How these districts, as integrated systems and meso-level organizational forms, can enhance sustainability through governance is then assessed. This research uses a context-driven analysis pathway involving stakeholder participation and needs identification. The theoretical background, the Italian regulatory framework, and a case study from Lombardy are presented. Needs are identified through participatory approaches and actions are prioritized using desk research and a narrative SWOT analysis combined with key stakeholder discussions (focus group). A total of eighteen needs are identified and categorized into 3 dimensions of sustainability: economic, environmental, and socio-institutional. Findings indicate that agri-food district organization has great potential to help achieve local and regional policy goals in line with the shift to sustainable approaches in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The paper proposes actions to strengthen district capacity-building, focusing on internal governance and sustainable production chains. Additionally, initiatives to attract young people to rural areas and agreements for ecosystem services in agri-food districts are suggested. These actions aim to promote sustainability and competitiveness while addressing challenges related to governance, innovation, branding, demographics, and environment. In conclusion, the study prompts critical inquiry into governance models and system dynamics. The innovative aspects of this study lie in its methodological approach, integration of theory and practice, holistic perspective, policy relevance, and critical inquiry, which collectively contribute to advancing knowledge and understanding in the field of sustainable agriculture and territorial development.

Governance and degradation of soil in the EU. An overview of policies with a focus on soil erosion

Healthy soils provide critical ecosystem services, addressing modern societal challenges such as human health safeguarding, food security, climate change adaptation, etc. Unfortunately, 60–70 % of soils in the European Union (EU) are in an unhealthy state, due to various natural and socio-economic factors. Degradation is the most severe threat, impairing soil quality, hindering the full delivery of its functions, jeopardizing its productivity, and constituting a monetary hazard. This is why the European Commission (EC) has put soil health at the epicenter of several EU policies, in different, yet inter-connected domains (e.g., agriculture, climate, etc.). Soil governance has gained increasing interest over the years, with the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the European Green Deal (EGD) being frontrunners in the attempt to achieve climatic neutrality, zero pollution, and sustainable food provision. These times call for a holistic revision of our production systems, consumption patterns, and the management of soil. However, a significant gap between soil conservation science and practice raises concerns about the effectiveness of soil-related policies. With a focus on soil erosion, this review provides an overview of such policies and how they promote soil restoration and preservation, underlining in parallel the importance of public awareness and participatory engagement in achieving their objectives.

From sectoral policy change to cross-sectoral (dis)integration? A longitudinal analysis of the EU's forest and rural development policy

Policy integration (PI) is critical to address cross-cutting challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss holistically. In the European Union, forests are confronting increasingly adverse climatic conditions and numerous stressors that impact their biodiversity. Political efforts to counteract these trends are mainly channeled through funding from the rural development policy as a pivotal part of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). In contrast, forest policy is hardly institutionalized at EU level. This study employs process tracing using 65 EU forest and rural development policy documents, including legal acts, preparatory documents, communications, related working documents and evaluation reports, predominantly produced over the last 25 years. By doing this, it examines the development of sectoral policy changes over time and their implications for the cross-sectoral integration of EU forest policy into rural development policy as part of agricultural policy at EU level. Results suggest that the adoption of the EU Forest Strategy for 2030 represented a provisional paradigm shift in EU forest policy. This shift is characterized by a substantial reprioritization of policy objectives, transitioning from an emphasis on economic aspects to a more climate- and biodiversity-centric approach, alterations in supported policy instruments and the introduction of various new regulatory instruments. On the other hand, the CAP and its rural development policy remain characterized by a path dependent incremental change and the latest reforms hardly reflect ambitious forest policy objectives both from budgetary and content perspectives. The findings suggest that the latest seemingly decoupled developments within both policy areas have led to an emergence of forest policy fragmentation at the EU level.

Trends and drivers of land abandonment in Poland under Common Agricultural Policy

The results of existing research predict that the area of abandoned land will increase in many European regions. One of the countries that are the most prone to this process is Poland where agriculture, after many transformations, is still an important sector of the economy. It is essential to determine drivers of the abandonment of agricultural land use in order to effectively counteract this process. Through the Common Agricultural Policy, the European Union financially supports farmers who use agricultural land in accordance with the environmental protection requirements. This study investigated to what extent the land use, the characteristics of agricultural holdings, the demographics as well as economic factors impacted the process of land abandonment in Poland during the period 2002–2020. The analysis was carried out using statistical and spatial data pertaining to the period before and after Poland’s accession to the European Union. Our results demonstrate that the share of abandoned land within the country's agricultural area has decreased from 9.7 % to 1.2 %. Direct payments to farmers and the agrarian structure of farms were the most significant factors affecting this process. Spearman’s rank order correlations between the share of abandoned arable land and the two mentioned variables are close to or higher than 0.5 in each analysed year. The obtained results did not confirm the common conviction that environmental factors play a decisive role in the process of cultivation abandonment.