The debate over the future of the CAP will begin in earnest next week with the Commission’s proposals for the ‘health check’. Just in time comes an excellent new website that offers a view of the agricultural situation in each of the 27 EU member states. This is a much needed resource that combines official data and expert analysis in a readable and analytically comparative way. It is an excellent factual companion for anyone looking at the diversity of European agriculture and the different policy paradigms that prevail across the EU.
One of the authors is Tia Hermans, a Dutch researcher who previously co-authored an excellent study of the geographical distribution of farm subsidies in the Netherlands. Tia tells me that the website “provides an overview of how the 27 EU Member States have been implementing the CAP and what they think about its future role.”
It appears to have been at least part funded by the Dutch government and its analysis of the politics of CAP reform in each member state is drawn from reports by agriculture attachés of the Dutch government in embassies across the EU. The UK agricultural attachés also prepare such reports for the UK government but to date these have not been put into the public domain.
One of the biggest challenges for reformers is how to craft winning proposals that take into account the varied approaches to agricultural and rural policy across the EU. The availability of resources like this can only help reduce the information deficit.
Latest posts by Jack Thurston
- Paolo De Castro on the CAP Reform Process - February 26th, 2013
- London Olympics opening ceremony chimes with greening vision for the CAP - June 12th, 2012
- Cross compliance for labour laws? - April 18th, 2012
- EFAs v. Set-Aside - November 10th, 2011
- Eurobarometer on CAP reform - September 30th, 2011
- The genius of French farmers - July 5th, 2011
- Haskins sets out vision for CAP reform - March 8th, 2011
- Sustainable intenstification - February 16th, 2011
In addition to the very positive announcement of the EEAC/RLG website ‘CAP in 27 MSs on 16 November, I would like to add some background information.
The study is the initiative of the EEAC Working Group Agriculture and Rural Development, presently chaired by the Dutch Council for the Rural Area (RLG).
EEAC is a network of independent national and regional advisory councils in Europe. This product is one of many ways that the EEAC and its members contribute to an informed policy debate (see http://www.eeac-net.org).
Please also note: the fact sheets are not complete. We invite the users to add or correct information through the feedback form on the website. We will keep the website updated until at least March 2008.