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About
The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) needs fundamental reform. Every year, € 54 billion – more than 40% of the EU budget – are spent without creating significant value for society.
In the future, European money should promote European public goods. This will allow us to better protect our climate and the environment, improve animal welfare and stimulate economic growth.
This webpage is a resource for all those interested in CAP reform: politicians, civil servants, NGO activists, journalists and citizens. The aim is to foster a better understanding of what is at stake and how to shape the future CAP.
The editor is Valentin Zahrnt. He is an economist at ECIPE, the European Centre for International Political Economy.
Declaration process
A Common Agricultural Policy for European Public Goods
Leading agricultural economists from all over Europe propose the abolition of market intervention and blanket income support to farmers. Instead, subsidies should be targeted at the provision of public goods of European interest, such as the fight against climate change and the preservation of biodiversity. Here you can read the Declaration and join it.
Podcast
An Open Trading System Enhances Global Food Security
How does the CAP affect poverty and hunger abroad? Prof. Alan Matthews observes improvements in EU policy, such as the reduction of export subsidies and tariff-free market access for least developed countries. But further steps are necessary if trade is to develop its full potential in the struggle for global food security.
Posts
Forest owners for a sustainable land use policy
Forestry covers almost as much land as agriculture – but only 3% of the CAP budget is earmarked for forests. One would think that this imbalance would make forest owners long-standing critics of the CAP. Not so. But the political landscape is changing: the leading federation of forest owners appears to have concluded that the stakes are worth taking a stronger stance - and have contributed an interesting text to reformthecap.eu.
At your fingertips
CAP reform in a nutshell the case for CAP reform on one page
Can you believe it? The CAP at
its worst examples of mind-boggling subsidies
Key data on the CAP expenditure for the main instruments
Expert Declaration on CAP reform one-page summary
CAP visions by reform-oriented stakeholders
Recent studies
UK Food Security Assessment: Detailed Analysis
Defra, 2009
The Common Agricultural Policy and the French, EU and Global Economies
GEM, 2009
Through the Green Smokescreen
BirdLife International, 2009
Public Money for Public Goods: Winners and Losers from CAP Reform
ECIPE, 2009
EU Budget Review: Options for Change
Copenhagen Economics, 2009
Studies wanted
You are welcome to send us studies related to CAP reform.
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