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The Common Agriculture Policy (CAP): Achievements and Future Prospects

  • Chapter
Law and Agroecology

Abstract

This paper aims to offer an analysis of the Common Agriculture Policy over the past 60 years. Taking the poor conditions of European agriculture between the two world wars as a starting point, this analysis considers the reasons that compelled the EU founding fathers to insert agriculture among the key sectors seen to further integration. Furthermore, this study aims to demonstrate how the protectionist attitude adopted by the European Commission actually arose from a long tradition of intervention by national governments in almost every European State.

As a matter of fact, the CAP was initially characterised, on the one hand, by a protectionist approach and, on the other hand, by a strong productivist attitude, in order to both guarantee European food independence and support farm incomes. These goals were attained, thanks to a price support system, which became very expensive with respect to the available EEC budget. In the 1980s, the European Commission came under the pressure of both national governments and economic globalisation, and consequently reviewed the CAP, thereby contributing towards a change of paradigm in the European agricultural sector. As a result of three main reforms—the MacSharry Reform (1992), the Agenda 2000 (1999) and the Fischler Reform (2003)—the CAP has become more centred on a multifunctional approach based on two principal pillars: firstly, aid towards food production, i.e. direct support to farmers, and, secondly, initiatives promoting the development of sustainable agriculture, according to an “agroecological” perspective, which allows for the protection of nature, as well as of regional cultures and traditions.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Slicher Van Bath (1963).

  2. 2.

    O’Rourke (1997), pp. 775–801.

  3. 3.

    Foreman-Peck (1983).

  4. 4.

    Laqua (2011).

  5. 5.

    Milward (1984).

  6. 6.

    Milward (1992).

  7. 7.

    Johnson (1947).

  8. 8.

    OECD (1961).

  9. 9.

    Tracy (1989).

  10. 10.

    Brandow (1977), pp. 209–294.

  11. 11.

    Mansholt (1963).

  12. 12.

    Tracy (1984), pp. 307–318.

  13. 13.

    Fearne (1997), pp. 11–55.

  14. 14.

    Communauté européenne (1958), p. 250.

  15. 15.

    Tracy (1994), pp. 357–374.

  16. 16.

    European Commission (1960) Proposals for the Working Out and Putting into Effect of the Common Agricultural Policy in Application of Article 43 of the Treaty Establishing the European Economic Community. DG VI/COM (60) 105, Brussels.

  17. 17.

    Thiemeyer (2009), pp. 47–59.

  18. 18.

    Germond (2010), pp. 25–44.

  19. 19.

    Hill (1984).

  20. 20.

    Neville-Rolfe (1984).

  21. 21.

    Ludlow (2006).

  22. 22.

    European Commission (1968) Memorandum of the reform of agriculture in the European Community. DG VI/COM (68) 1000, Brussels.

  23. 23.

    Seidel (2010), pp. 83–102.

  24. 24.

    Knudsen (2009).

  25. 25.

    Sheingate (2001).

  26. 26.

    Ludlow (2005), pp, 347–371.

  27. 27.

    Hofreither (2007), pp. 333–348.

  28. 28.

    Josling (2009), pp. 115–176.

  29. 29.

    Webber (1999), pp. 45–67.

  30. 30.

    Spoerer (2010), pp. 143–162.

  31. 31.

    Daugbjerg (2004).

  32. 32.

    Meunier (1998), pp. 193–211.

  33. 33.

    Josling and Tangermann (1999), pp. 371–388.

  34. 34.

    Bullock (1992), pp. 59–67.

  35. 35.

    European Commission (1991) The development and future of the CAP: reflections paper of the Commission, COM (91)100 final.

  36. 36.

    Coleman and Tangerman (1999), pp. 385–405.

  37. 37.

    Swinbank (1993), pp. 359–372.

  38. 38.

    Kay (1998).

  39. 39.

    Jack (2013).

  40. 40.

    Mahé and Roe (1996), pp. 1314–1323.

  41. 41.

    Moyer and Josling (2002).

  42. 42.

    Daugbjerg and Swinbank (2004), pp. 99–119.

  43. 43.

    European Commission (1995) Study on alternative strategies for the development of relations in the field of agriculture between the EU and the associated countries with a view to future accession of these countries (Agricultural Strategy Paper), CSE (95) 607.

  44. 44.

    Tangermann (1998).

  45. 45.

    Coclanis (2003), pp. 71–84.

  46. 46.

    European Conference on Rural Development (1996).

  47. 47.

    European Commission (1997).

  48. 48.

    Galloway (1999), pp. 9–35.

  49. 49.

    Ackrill (2000), pp. 343–353.

  50. 50.

    Katranidis and Vakrou (2002), pp. 5–29.

  51. 51.

    Van Meijl and Van Tongeren (2000), pp. 445–470.

  52. 52.

    European Commission (2002) Mid-term review of the common agricultural policy, COM (2002) 394 final.

  53. 53.

    Fouilleux (2004), pp. 235–255.

  54. 54.

    European Commission (2003) A long term perspective for sustainable agriculture, COM (2003) 23 final.

  55. 55.

    Hennis (2005).

  56. 56.

    Steinberg and Josling (2003), pp. 369–417.

  57. 57.

    Skogstad (1998), pp. 463–490.

  58. 58.

    Tallberg (2004), pp. 999–1022.

  59. 59.

    Federico (2009), pp. 257–271.

  60. 60.

    Daugbjerg (1999), pp. 407–428.

  61. 61.

    Schmidt and Radaelli (2004), pp. 183–210.

  62. 62.

    Slangen et al. (2004).

  63. 63.

    Dobbs and Pretty (2004), pp. 220–237.

  64. 64.

    Coleman (1998), pp. 632–651.

  65. 65.

    Coleman et al. (1996), pp. 273–301.

  66. 66.

    Van den Hoven (2004), pp. 256–283.

  67. 67.

    Van Huylenbroek and Durand (2003).

  68. 68.

    Glebe (2003).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of History, Society and Human Studies, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy

    A. Isoni

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Scienze Giuridiche, Università del Salento, Lecce, Italy

    Massimo Monteduro

  2. Dipartimento di Scienze Giuridiche; Institute for the History of Law, Università del Salento; University of Münster, Münster, Germany, Lecce, Italy

    Pierangelo Buongiorno

  3. Dipartimento di Scienze Giuridiche, Università del Salento, Lecce, Italy

    Saverio Di Benedetto

  4. Dipartimento di Storia, Societ a e Studi sull’Uomo, Università del Salento, Lecce, Italy

    Alessandro Isoni

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Isoni, A. (2015). The Common Agriculture Policy (CAP): Achievements and Future Prospects. In: Monteduro, M., Buongiorno, P., Di Benedetto, S., Isoni, A. (eds) Law and Agroecology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-46617-9_9

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