2013年-CEPS欧洲政策研究中心_Towards_a_Sustainable_European_Agricultural_Policy_for_the_21st_Century_32页_325kb

Summary of "Towards a Sustainable European Agricultural Policy for the 21st Century"

Core Content

This report, authored by the CEPS Task Force on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in the 21st Century, provides an analysis of the challenges and strategic policy options for reforming the CAP in light of the Doha Round, mid-term reviews, and Eastern enlargement. The report outlines key issues affecting the CAP and proposes a set of recommendations aimed at ensuring its sustainability and alignment with broader European objectives.

Main Points and Key Issues

1. Overview of CAP Reforms

• The CAP has evolved significantly since its inception in the 1960s, with major reforms introduced in 1992 (MacSharry reforms) and 1999 (Agenda 2000).
• Agenda 2000 deepened and extended the MacSharry reforms, shifting from price support to direct payments.
• Direct payments now account for over 60% of the agricultural budget, with a projected increase to two-thirds under full Agenda 2000 implementation.

2. Challenges Facing the CAP

• Food Safety: Rising consumer demands for food safety, exacerbated by crises such as BSE, dioxin, and FMD, have placed food safety at the forefront of agricultural policy.
• Environmental and Sustainability Objectives: Environmental groups and the food industry are pushing for CAP reforms that align with sustainability, including better animal welfare and reduced environmental impact.
• WTO Negotiations: The Doha Round is expected to reduce tariffs, domestic support, and especially export subsidies, which will have significant implications for CAP commodity regimes.
• Eastern Enlargement: The accession of up to ten Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) in 2004 will bring new challenges, particularly in terms of budgetary pressures and competition.
• Rural Development and the Second Pillar: The CAP's rural development measures are under review for efficiency and effectiveness, with a need for better targeting and transparency.

3. Strategic Policy Options

• Sustainable Policy Framework: The CAP should provide a sustainable framework that minimises bureaucratic and administrative burdens for farmers, rural entrepreneurs, and the food industry.
• Market-Oriented Approach: There should be a continued shift towards more market-oriented support, reducing price distortions and replacing them with direct, less distortionary instruments.
• Conditionality and Flexibility: Direct payments should be conditional on "good farming practice," which includes environmental, hygiene, and animal welfare standards. The policy should also be flexible to accommodate regional and structural differences in agriculture.
• Decoupling Payments: Payments should be decoupled from production to reduce competition distortions and better support small farmers.
• Public Goods and Multifunctionality: The CAP should incentivise farmers for their contributions to public goods, such as environmental protection and rural development, in line with the EU's concept of the "European farm model."
• Efficient Rural Development Strategy: The rural development strategy must be rigorously evaluated, with transparent procedures to ensure efficiency and alignment with broader EU goals.

Key Recommendations

• Conditional Direct Payments: All support should be conditional on adherence to good farming practices, including environmental, hygiene, and animal welfare standards.
• Degressive Compensation Payments: The compensation part of direct payments should be reduced over time, with a clear transition period for farmers to adjust.
• Decoupled Support: Remaining payments should be decoupled from production to reduce competition distortions and align with WTO obligations.
• Integration with Structural Funds: The second pillar of the CAP should be coordinated with Structural Funds to ensure effective rural development policies.
• Transition Period for CEECs: A transition period should be introduced to gradually extend direct payments to CEECs, starting at 25% of the current level in 2004 and increasing to 100% by 2013.

Budgetary Implications

• The extension of direct payments to CEECs is expected to significantly increase the EU's agricultural budget.
• Current estimates suggest that the annual cost could reach €14 to €15 billion by 2006, with direct payments accounting for more than half.
• The European Commission's draft common position, proposed in February 2002, aligns with this, with direct payments increasing from 25% in 2004 to 35% in 2006.

Conclusion

The report highlights the need for a more sustainable and market-oriented CAP that addresses the challenges of food safety, environmental sustainability, WTO obligations, and Eastern enlargement. It calls for a strategic and flexible approach that supports farmers while reducing administrative burdens and aligning with broader European goals.