Common Agricultural Policy
What is the Common Agricultural Policy?
The key objectives of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), as enshrined in the EU treaties, is to:
Increase agricultural productivity thus to ensure a fair standard of living for agricultural producers
Stabilise markets
Assure availability of supplies
Ensure reasonable prices to consumers
In fact, with countries outside the EU generally able to produce agricultural products at far lower prices than member states - either because of the enormous size and the scale of their industries (eg the USA, Canada) or because of lower standards (eg the developing world) - the EU is largely keeping prices up.
The price support system dominates the CAP debate, mainly because of its expense. It comprises:
A target price: a price at which it is hoped farmers will be able to obtain on the open market
A threshold price: the price to which imports are raised when world prices are lower than EU prices
A guaranteed or intervention price: the price at which the Commission will take surplus product off the market by stepping in and buying it up
Some 90 per cent of EU produce is protected in some way by the CAP, with some 70 per cent in receipt of support prices. It is the EU's biggest single spending commitment, absorbing between 40 and 50 per cent of the entire EU budget.
Background
Agriculture, and the CAP, is the area where European integration has arguably proceeded further than any other.
Agriculture has been at the heart of the EU project since the very
outset, and its privileged position is widely viewed as part of a 'deal'
between
The CAP was established in 1957.
By the 1980s, the CAP's financial incentives for food production and investment led to massive overproduction, forcing the EU to accumulate notional 'butter mountains' and 'wine lakes' by buying up surplus produce to maintain prices. In addition, the focus on production and the use of chemicals and heavy machinery led to concerns about environmental degradation.
There were also frequent accusations of CAP corruption and fraud, and in the early 1980s, the cost of CAP was seen as threatening to destabilise the whole community.
The McSharry reforms of 1992 went a long way to replacing guaranteed prices with a new system of direct payments of compensation to farmers if prices fell below a certain level. The McSharry reforms also offered compensation for farmers who pursued environmentally friendly practices.
The 1999 Berlin Council reformed the CAP further, under Agenda 2000. These reforms, which came into effect in March 2003, replaced production subsidies with a scheme of direct payments linked directly to compliance with a set of standards on food safety, animal rights and environmental concerns. The most fundamental new element is the new 'Single Farm Payment' that replaces the vast array of existing direct payment schemes. The key thrust of the reforms has therefore been to break the link between subsidies and production, so that farmers produce for the market and not to gain financial support.
100 per cent decoupling will be in place by 2005 - except for in
The
Controversies
The CAP has been criticised for its large budget and for supporting inefficient agricultural practices. The 1990s reforms are accused of so far having done little to reduce its cost, and of leaving agricultural pric 22522j915w es unnecessarily high at the expense of the consumer.
By encouraging overproduction, the CAP forced the EU to buy up surplus produce, which it then sold on cheaply in the developing world - undercutting local producers and damaging local economies. 'Dumping' of this sort, combined with high external tariffs for food imports, led to considerable international criticism of the CAP, notably at the Doha World Trade Organisation talks in 2003.
Attempts to reduce overproduction by paying farmers to 'set aside' land are thought to have mitigated but not eleminated the problem. Set aside also risked colouring the public's perception of farmers - who the public thought were being paid to do nothing.
Furthermore, by encouraging farm 'modernisation', the CAP was blamed for environmental damage caused by the increase of agricultural chemicals and intensive farming methods. Some have blamed the CAP for the practices that led to a series of food safety scares during the 1980s and 1990s, chief among them being BSE.
It is also claimed that the distribution of funds under the CAP is unfair - with some 20 per cent of farms, primarily the larger ones, receiving 70 per cent of the subsidies.
There is also CAP fraud in some member states, where levels of diligence to prevent fraud reflect different levels of effectiveness from different member states' agriculture ministries.
EU enlargement poses a serious challenge to the CAP: the economies of
some of the accession states due to join in 2004 - notably the largest,
However, the Common Agricultural Policy has contributed to an improvement in European agricultural efficiency by promoting modernisation and rationalisation. Average agricultural incomes have risen roughly in line with other sectors, markets have been stablised, and the EU has been rendered virtually self-sufficient in all foodstuffs that its climate permits to be cultivated.
Statistics
CAP cost around €40 billion in 2000, of which about €10.8 billion went on market price support, €25.5 billion on direct payments and €4.2 billion on rural development and agri-environment schemes
In 2000, the CAP cost European consumers an extra €48 billion in food costs
The cost of the CAP has declined as a proportion of the EU budget - dropping to slightly over 40 per cent in 2003, down from 68 per cent in 1988
Statistics 1: (Source: DEFRA, 2004); Statistic 2: (Source: OECD, 2000); Statistic 3: (Source: European Commission, 2004)
Common Agricultural Policy
The Common Agricultural Policy is regarded by some as one of the EU's most successful policies, and by others as a scandalous waste of money.
A series of reforms has been carried out in recent years, and the current round of World Trade Organization negotiations could result in further changes.
The CAP has also been a battleground in the dispute over the EU's
2007-13 budget. In the first half of 2005, the
WHAT IS THE CAP?
Agriculture has been one of the flagship areas of European collaboration since the early days of the European Community.
In negotiations on the creation of a Common Market,
CAP OBJECTIVES
From Treaty of Rome, article 39
The Common Agricultural Policy began operating in 1962, with the Community intervening to buy farm output when the market price fell below an agreed target level.
This helped reduce
The Community also taxed imports and (from the 1970s onward) subsidised agricultural exports. These policies have been
damaging for foreign farmers, and made
European leaders were alarmed at the high cost of the CAP as early as 1967, but radical reform began only in the 1990s.
The aim has been to break the link between subsidies and production, to diversify the rural economy and to respond to consumer demands for safe food, and high standards of animal welfare and environmental protection.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
The cost of the CAP can be measured in two ways: there is the money paid out of the EU budget, and the cost to the consumer of higher food prices.
The EU will spend 49bn euros (£33bn) on agriculture in 2005 (46% of the budget), while the OECD estimates the extra cost of food in 2003 at 55bn euros.
The CAP budget has been falling as a proportion of the total EU budget for many years, as European collaboration has steadily extended into other areas. It has been falling as a proportion of EU GDP since 1985.
EU member states agreed in 2002 that expenditure on agriculture (though not rural development) should be held steady in real terms between 2006 and 2013, despite the admission of 10 new members in 2004.
This means that the money paid to farmers in older member states will begin to decline after 2007. Overall, they will suffer a 5% cut in the 2007-13 period.
If
Agricultural expenditure declined slightly in 2004, as compared with 2003 but has jumped in 2005 as a result of the admission of 10 new members. Under the European Commission's budget proposals for 2007-13, it will peak in 2008/2009, in nominal terms, then decline until 2013.
WHO GETS THE MONEY?
In each case, their share of subsidies was roughly equivalent to their share of EU agricultural output.
The subsidies they received amounted to about 1.5% of gross national income, compared to an EU average of 0.5%.
The new member states began receiving CAP subsidies in 2004, but at only 25% of the rate they are paid to the older member states.
However, this rate is slowly rising and will reach equality in 2013.
Most of the CAP money goes to the biggest farmers - large agribusinesses and hereditary landowners.
The sugar company Tate and Lyle was the biggest recipient of CAP funds
in the
It has been calculated that 80% of the funds go to just 20% of EU farmers, while at the other end of the scale, 40% of farmers share just 8% of the funds.
HOW IS THE MONEY SPENT?
Until 1992, most of the CAP budget was spent on price support: farmers were guaranteed a minimum price for their crop - and the more they produced, the bigger the subsidy they received.
The rest was spent on export subsidies - compensation for traders who sold agricultural goods to foreign buyers for less than the price paid to European farmers.
CAP REFORMS
1992: Direct payments and set-aside introduced
1995: Rural development aid phased in
2002: Subsidy ceiling frozen until 2013
2003: Subsidies decoupled from production levels and made dependent on animal welfare and environmental protection
2005: Sugar reform tabled
But in 1992 the EU began to dismantle the price support system, reducing guaranteed prices and compensating farmers with a "direct payment" less closely related to levels of production.
Cereal farmers were obliged to take a proportion of their land out of cultivation in the "set-aside" programme.
In 1995, the EU also started paying rural development aid, designed to diversify the rural economy and make farms more competitive.
Additional reforms in 2003 and 2004 further "decoupled" subsidies from production levels and linked payments to food safety, animal welfare, and environmental standards.
However, three areas - sugar, wine, fruit and vegetables - have yet to be reformed. Further reform of the dairy sector is planned for the period after 2014.
Rural development funding, which currently accounts for about 13% of the total agriculture budget, is set to increase to 25% before the end of the decade.
In international trade negotiations, the EU has offered to cut all export subsidies, as long as other countries do so too. Big cuts in import tariffs are also being discussed.
WHAT PRODUCTS ARE SUBSIDISED?
The crops initially supported by the CAP reflected the climates of the
six founding members (France,
Cereals, beef/veal and dairy products still account for the lion's share of CAP funding, but the southern enlargements of the 1980s brought new crops into the system.
Cotton farmers received 873m euros in 2003, tobacco farmers got 960m euros, and silkworm producers 400,000 euros.
Payments to olive farmers in 2003 (at 2.3bn euros) were larger than those to fruit and vegetable farmers (1.5bn euros), sugar producers (1.3bn euros) or wine producers (1.2bn euros).
Producers of milk and sugar are subject to quotas, which they must not exceed.
Wine is a special case: the EU provides funds to convert surpluses into brandy or fuel - a process known as crisis distillation - and payments to replace poor quality with high quality vines.
HOW MANY PEOPLE BENEFIT?
Critics argue that the CAP costs too much and benefits relatively few people.
BUDGET PRIORITIES (2005)
Only 5% of EU citizens - 10 million people - work in agriculture, and the sector generates just 1.6% of EU GDP.
Supporters of the CAP say it guarantees the survival of rural communities - where more than half of EU citizens live - and preserves the traditional appearance of the countryside.
They add that most developed countries provide financial support to farmers, and that without a common policy some EU countries would provide more than others, leading to pressure for trade barriers to be reintroduced.
The importance of farming to the national economy varies from one EU
country to another. In
The number of people working on farms roughly halved in the 15 older EU member states between 1980 and 2003.
About 2% of farmers leave the industry every year across the EU, though
falls of more than 8% were registered between 2002 and 2003 in the
At the same time, the average age of farmers is rising. In 2000, more than half of individual farmers in the 15 countries that then made up the EU were aged 55 or over.
Farmers and their employees often work very long hours for little money. Many farms would be unprofitable if EU subsidies were withdrawn.
Rural development measures
Rural development policy under Agenda 2000 (in operation until 2006) offers a 'menu' of measures. Member States choose from this menu those measures that suit the needs of their rural areas best. These are then included in their national or regional programmes. Measures eligible for EU support are co-financed with Member States. Following the June 2003 CAP reform rural development policy was widened. For example, agri-environment measures will receive more EU funding. But it also provides specific new elements of support.
Long-standing rural development measures
Investments in farm businesses
The EU provides financial assistance for investments in farm businesses aimed at improving farm incomes, living standards and the working and production conditions of farmers. Investments must meet objectives such as:
reducing production costs;
improving product quality;
preserving and improving the environment;
meeting hygiene and animal welfare conditions
encouraging diversification in agricultural activities.
Human resources: young farmers, early retirement, training
The EU offers financial incentives to encourage the transfer of farm businesses from one generation to another, via assistance for young farmers to start up in farming (an expensive undertaking) and through the encouragement of early retirement (so that farms can be made available for the next generation). Financing of training programmes is also available.
Less favoured areas (LFAs) and areas subject to environmental constraints
Certain rural areas are designated as less favoured areas because farming conditions are more difficult there. These difficulties result from natural handicaps such as mountainous terrain, soil conditions, climate etc., which increase production costs and reduce agricultural yields. Farmers in LFAs are eligible for subsidies to compensate them for the additional costs they face. These payments now also take into account the role LFA farmers play in looking after the natural landscape.
Farmers in areas subject to restrictions on agricultural use, as a result of implementation of EU environmental protection rules, can also benefit from payments intended to compensate for the additional costs and income losses linked to these constraints.
Agri-environment measures
Agri-environment schemes were introduced in the CAP reforms of 1992. Farmers who sign up voluntarily, for a minimum of five years, to farm to a very high environmental standard (beyond statutory requirements) are rewarded for the environmental services rendered. They are given payments that take into account the income loss and additional costs that result from farming to higher environmental standards, and the need to provide them with an incentive to change their farming practices.
Processing and marketing of agricultural products
Adapting production to what the market demands, researching new commercial outlets, and adding value to agricultural products, are all important in helping to raise the competitiveness of the sector. Finance is made available for investments to improve the processing and marketing of agricultural products.
Forestry
Forests make up 36 % of the EU's land area. Support for sustainable forestry is part of the 1998 EU forestry strategy, aimed at ensuring the protection and sustainable management and development of the EU's forests. The strategy focuses on the essential ecological, economic and social role of forests and covers such measures as investments to improve their economic, ecological or social value, and to restore the potential of forestry production following damage by natural disasters and fire. Support will also be available for tree plantations, on agricultural and non-agricultural land, which meet local conditions and are suitable for the environment.
Measures promoting the adaptation and development of rural areas
The EU funds a series of measures aimed both at the agricultural sector and at promoting the wider economic development of rural areas. Funding can cover, among other things, land improvement, basic services for the rural economy and population, renovation and development of villages and protection and conservation of the rural heritage, diversification of agricultural activities to provide multiple activities or alternative incomes, agricultural water resources management, encouragement of tourist and craft activities, and protection of the environment.
More recent measures following the June 2003 reform
Food quality measures
Two new measures are being introduced:
temporary support, reducing over time, will be available to help farmers adapt to the tough (statutory) EU standards on the environment, public, animal and plant health, animal welfare and occupational safety;
financial assistance for farmers to help with the costs of using farm advisory services to assess the performance of their farm business against the new cross-compliance standards being introduced.
Animal welfare
The scope of the agri-environment measures will be widened to make financial support available to farmers who make extra animal welfare improvements. Respect for statutory animal welfare standards will have to be met at farmers' own cost, but the EU will provide support to farmers who enter into voluntary commitments to meet standards which go beyond established animal husbandry practice.
UE – un actor important pe piata mondiala a produselor agricole
UE are contacte ample si relatii comerciale cu terte tari si blocuri comerciale. UE ste un actor major pe piata mondiala a produselor agricole, fiind cel mai mare importator si al doilea mare exportator de produse alimentare. UE joaca un rol de frunte în realizarea acordurilor comerciale mondiale în Organizatia Mondiala a Comertului (OMC). De asemenea, a încheiat si este în curs de a negocia acorduri comerciale bilaterale cu terte tari, acorduri de liber schimb cu vecinii sai, acorduri speciale cu tarile în curs de dezvoltare, acordând acces preferential pe piata UE, si întretine relatii mai ample cu grupari regionale ca de pilda tarile din America de Sud din grupul Mercosur. UE este singura mare grupare comerciala, din rândul tarilor mai bogate, care nu numai ca acorda acces preferential pe pietele sale importurilor din tarile în curs de dezvoltare, dar în practica importa cantitati considerabile din aceste tari.
Contributia UE la comertul mondial cu produse agricole
UE este un importator net semnificativ de produse agricole, fiind si un exportator net de produse alimentare prelucrate. UE a facut eforturi majore pentru a-si redirectiona politica agricola catre instrumente comerciale mai transparente si care sa distorsioneze mai putin comertul – în principal disociind de nivelele de productie circa doua treimi din platile acordate fermierilor.
UE este totodata de departe cea mai mare piata pentru exporturi de produse agricole din tarile în curs de dezvoltare si a fost prima, dintre tarile mai bogate, care a acordat, pentru produsele din tarile cele mai putin dezvoltate, accesul fara taxe vamale si contingente.
Un sustinator al regulilor comerciale multilaterale
UE promoveaza asezarea relatiilor comerciale dintre toate tarile, fie ele dezvoltate sau mai putin dezvoltate, pe reguli comerciale multilaterale în avantajul tuturor tarilor, mai ales al celor în curs de dezvoltare. De aceea UE este un puternic sustinator al OMC si a jucat întotdeauna un rol activ în discutiile si negocierile OMC privind comertul cu produse agricole. UE este angajata activ în realizarea „Agendei Doha privind Dezvoltarea” (ADD), negocieri al caror scop este continuarea liberalizarii comertului însotita de accentuarea dezvoltarii. În privinta agriculturii, acordul la care s-a ajuns în august 2004 a pregatit terenul pentru negocieri ulterioare care ar putea rezulta într-o liberalizare considerabil mai mare a comertului agricol în comparatie cu negocierile comerciale anterioare („Runda Uruguay”). Acordul este în concordanta cu reforma PAC realizata de UE. El ar trebui sa aduca cu sine o reducere substantiala a sprijinului acordat agriculturii, sprijin ce distorsioneaza comertul, sa conduca la eliminarea practicilor concurentiale la export care distorsioneaza comertul, si sa contribuie la o deschidere semnificativa a pietelor pentru produse agricole, permitând totodata un tratament special
pentru produsele sensibile. Toate tarile în curs de dezvoltare vor beneficia de tratament special, ceea ce le va permite sa liberalizeze mai putin pe o perioada mai indelungata.
Al doilea mare exportator mondial – si cel mai mare importator
Agricultura europeana este un actor important pe pietele mondiale de produse agricole. Capacitatea agriculturii europene de a produce cantitati mari de produse agricole, precum si diversitatea si calitatea acestor produse, au facut din UE un mare exportator de produse alimentare (al doilea mare exportator mondial, cu exporturi de produse agricole în valoare de 61,088 miliarde de Euro în anul 2002). Dar nu este vorba în totalitate de o circulatie în sens unic. UE este si cel mai mare importator mondial de produse agricole. În 2002, importurile de produse agricole au fost estimate la 61,274 miliarde Euro.Din 1990 încoace, pozitia de exportator net a scazut in fiecare sector.
Comertul cu tarile in curs de dezvoltare
Volumul de produse agricole importate de UE din tarile în curs de dezvoltare si din cele mai putin dezvoltate este deja impresionant si este mai mare decât cel al SUA, Japonia, Australia si Noua Zeelanda la un loc. UE poate astfel demonstra clar ca nu este o „fortareata”. Este un lider mondial care lucreaza în favoarea unei îmbunatatiri treptate a liberalizarii comertului, folosind instrumente multilaterale si regionale/bilaterale.
Noi state membre, noi provocari
Extinderea UE pentru a cuprinde 10 noi State Membre (Republica Ceha, Cipru, Estonia, Letonia, Lituania, Malta, Polonia, Slovacia, Slovenia si Ungaria) de la 1 mai 2004 a fost un reper istoric în reconstruirea Europei dupa secole de separari distructive reprezentate de razboi si conflict ideologic. Întreaga Europa va avea de câstigat de pe urma unei stabilitati politice si unei securitati asigurate, ca si de pe urma extinderii pietei interne de la 380 la 454 milioane de oameni. Aceasta piata largita va oferi totodata oportunitati noi pentru dezvoltarea agriculturii europene si a politicii agricole comune a UE (PAC). Numeric vorbind, impactul extinderii asupra agriculturii UE este spectaculos. Înca 4 milioane de fermieri s-au adaugat la populatia de 7 milioane de fermieri deja existenta în Europa. Noile State Membre adauga 38 milioane de hectare de teren agricol la cele 130 milioane de hectare din vechea Europa cu 15 state, o crestere de 30%, desi productia în Europa cu 25 de state va creste cu doar 10-20% pentru majoritatea produselor. Aceasta confirma ca marele potential de productie agricola al noilor State Membre este înca departe de a fi utilizat pe deplin.
Fermierii din noile State Membre au acces la piata unica din UE si beneficiaza de
preturile ei relativ stabile ca si de plati directe (introduse treptat pentru a atinge nivelul complet din UE) si de masuri de dezvoltare rurala. În ciuda progresului în modernizarea si restructurarea sectorului agricol care a avut loc în noile State Membre (mai ales tarile ex-comuniste) în anii din urma, una din provocarile cheie a fost îmbunatatirea prosperitatii în agricultura si în comunitatile rurale în general. Intens mediatizatele diferente de prosperitate dintre cele 15 State Membre vechi si noile State Membre (în 2001, 45% din nivelul UE cu 15 State Membre) sunt chiar mai accentuate în zonele rurale din cauza unei combinatii de venituri mai mici si niveluri de somaj mai ridicate din aceste zone în comparatie cu zonele urbane (aceste disparitati sunt mai mari în noile State Membre decât în UE cu 15 State Membre).
Aceasta este o provocare pe care UE a început deja sa o abordeze prin elaborarea de noi masuri de dezvoltare rurala destinate rezolve situatia specifica a noilor State Membre. De exemplu, în aceste tari exista multe ferme mici de „semi-subzistenta”, care produc pentru consumul propriu, dar si comercializeaza o parte din produse. Pentru a ajuta familia de agricultori sa faca fata problemelor banesti în timp ce ferma se restructureaza pentru a deveni viabila din punct de vedere comercial, se ofera un ajutor pentru venit pe o perioada de pâna la 5 ani. Se pot subventiona serviciile de consultanta pentru ferme pentru a pune la dispozitia fermierilor sprijinul specialistilor pentru a cultiva pamântul într-o maniera durabila din punct de vedere ecologic, pentru a-si diversifica activitatile agricole, sau pentru a-si moderniza instalatiile.
Exista totodata un ajutor special pentru investitii cu scopul de a-i ajuta pe fermierii din noile State Membre sa îndeplineasca standardele legate de sanatatea publica si igiena, protectia animalelor si protectia muncii.
Este important de subliniat ca obligatiile pe care le presupune apartenenta la UE sau aplicat imediat fermierilor din noile State Membre. Un exemplu este siguranta alimentelor, care este un aspect atât de important pentru consumatorii UE încât nu s-a acceptat nici o diminuare a standardelor.
La politique agricole commune
La politique agricole commune a pour objectif de permettre aux agriculteurs de bénéficier d'un niveau de vie raisonnable, de fournir aux consommateurs des denrées alimentaires de qualité à des prix équitables et de préserver notre patrimoine rural. La politique s'est adaptée à l'évolution des besoins de la société. C'est ainsi que la sûreté alimentaire, la préservation de l'environnement, l'utilisation rationnelle des deniers publics et l'agriculture comme source de cultures destinées à la production de carburants ont acquis une importance sans cesse croissante.
Une évolution dans la durée
Née il y a 50 ans, alors que les membres fondateurs de l'UE sortaient à peine d'une décennie de restrictions alimentaires, la politique agricole commune (PAC) a tout d'abord consisté à subventionner la production de denrées alimentaires de base afin d'assurer l'autosuffisance et la sûreté alimentaire. Désormais, l'accent est mis sur le rôle de l'agriculture dans la conservation et la gestion de nos ressources naturelles.
La PAC, qui constitue la politique communautaire la plus intégrée, absorbe une part importante du budget de l'UE. Celle-ci est néanmoins passée de près de 70 % du budget dans les années soixante-dix à 34,9 % au cours de la période 2007-2013, grâce aux économies réalisées à la suite des réformes successives de la PAC, à la réaffectation d'une partie du budget au profit du développement rural, qui représente 9,7 % du budget au cours de la même période, et à l'extension des autres domaines de responsabilité de l'UE.
Depuis plus de vingt ans, les surplus de viande bovine, de beurre et de lait appartiennent au passé grâce aux réformes appliquées. La poursuite des réformes au cours des dernières années a permis de remplacer en grande partie les subventions liées à la production par des paiements directs aux agriculteurs, ce qui leur garantit un revenu décent, mais souvent subordonné au respect d'objectifs plus généraux. Ces objectifs comprennent notamment un ensemble de normes concernant la sécurité alimentaire, la santé animale et végétale et le bien-être des animaux, ainsi que des exigences dans le but de préserver les paysages ruraux traditionnels, de protéger les oiseaux et de conserver la faune et la flore. La PAC est également un filet de sécurité financier pour les agriculteurs frappés par les catastrophes naturelles ou les maladies animales
L'attention redoublée accordée à l'hygiène, à la qualité alimentaire et au bien-être des animaux constitue une réponse à la crainte qu’une agriculture et un élevage plus intensifs n'aient été à l'origine de «la maladie de la vache folle», de la présence de dioxines dans le lait et d’hormones artificielles dans la viande et d'autres problèmes sanitaires liés aux denrées alimentaires.
Le passage d'un système de subventions à la production à un système de paiements directs aux agriculteurs représente le changement le plus radical qu'ait connu la PAC depuis sa création en 1958. Cette mesure est mise en place progressivement et étendue à davantage de produits, dont le vin, les fruits, les légumes et la banane.
À la suite des réformes adoptées dans le secteur du sucre en 2005, l'UE passera du statut de deuxième exportateur mondial à celui d'importateur net. L'évolution des besoins de la société offre parallèlement de nouvelles possibilités aux agriculteurs dans le cadre de la culture du sucre (ou des céréales ou d'autres cultures) utilisé en tant que biocarburant pour les véhicules ou biomasse pour la production d'énergie.
L'abandon des aides liées à la production au profit d'un soutien direct aux agriculteurs contribue à un commerce mondial plus équitable, car en ciblant l'aide sur les agriculteurs et non sur les produits, on réduit du même coup le risque de distorsions des échanges engendré par les subventions communautaires à l'exportation des excédents de production. Ces changements ont donc préparé l'UE aux discussions du cycle de Doha en vue de la libéralisation des échanges internationaux, où l'UE a proposé de supprimer totalement les subventions à l'exportation d'ici à 2013. Toutefois, même sans libéralisation supplémentaire et sans le relancement des négociations internationales actuellement suspendues, l'UE est déjà le plus grand importateur mondial de denrées alimentaires et le principal marché d'importation de ces produits en provenance des pays du tiers monde.
Les prochaines étapes sont les suivantes:
* simplifier les règles régissant l'agriculture par une refonte de la législation, qui s'est développée sans véritable plan d'ensemble au cours des cinq dernières décennies;
* remplacer les différentes organisations de marché et règles relatives aux différents produits par une seule organisation de marché commune et un ensemble uniforme de règles;
* s'employer, en coopération avec les gouvernements nationaux, à réduire les formalités administratives que sont tenus de remplir les agriculteurs pour pouvoir bénéficier d'une aide de l'UE.
D’autres facteurs de changement
Les préoccupations au sujet du coût de la PAC, la réduction des inquiétudes liées à la sûreté des denrées alimentaires et la nécessité d'échanges internationaux plus équitables n'ont pas été les seuls moteurs du changement. L'agriculture constitue une source moindre d'emplois du fait de la modernisation du secteur et de l'orientation croissante de l'économie européenne vers les services. Même si l'UE compte encore 13 millions d'agriculteurs, la survie des économies rurales n'est plus un fait acquis.
L'accent qui a été mis sur le développement rural depuis le début de cette décennie a permis d'investir davantage pour la sylviculture, la campagne comme espace de loisirs, la biodiversité, la diversification de l'économie rurale, la protection de l'environnement dans les zones rurales, une meilleure qualité de vie et la création d'emplois.
Le défi de l'élargissement
Depuis les élargissements de mai 2004 et janvier 2007, le nombre d'agriculteurs dans l'UE a augmenté de respectivement 55 % et 53 %. Les agriculteurs et les entreprises de transformation des nouveaux États membres, qui doivent affronter la concurrence avec le reste de l'UE, ont bénéficié de crédits de modernisation avant l'élargissement. Ils reçoivent en outre, pendant les trois ans suivant l'adhésion de leurs pays, une enveloppe financière spécialement adaptée à leurs besoins et destinée à la retraite anticipée, aux zones défavorisées, à la protection de l'environnement, au reboisement, aux exploitations de semi-subsistance, aux groupements de producteurs et au respect des normes communautaires en matière de denrées alimentaires, d'hygiène et de bien-être animal. Certaines règles de la PAC sont mises en place progressivement afin de permettre une période d’adaptation.
Des réponses aux préoccupations des consommateurs
La qualité des produits est un élement fondamental de la politique agricole de l'Union européenne.
L’UE favorise la production de denrées alimentaires de qualité et compétitives au niveau international moyennant une assistance financière à l’innovation dans les secteurs de l’agriculture et de la transformation alimentaire et l’utilisation de labels de qualité volontaires. Il s’agit notamment d’un système de labels pour désigner les denrées alimentaires exclusivement originaires d'une région déterminée de l'UE et fabriquées grâce à un savoir-faire reconnu, les produits renommés ayant un lien géographique clair avec une région de l'UE, les produits constitués d'ingrédients traditionnels ou fabriqués à partir de méthodes traditionnelles et d'un label désignant les produits biologiques. L'UE dispose de règles applicables non seulement aux produits biologiques, mais également aux exploitations agricoles biologiques. Consciente de l'importance que les consommateurs attachent désormais aux denrées alimentaires biologiques, elle encourage encore davantage ce type d'agriculture dans le cadre d'un plan d'action en matière d'alimentation et d'agriculture biologiques. La Commission européenne discute également avec les États membres d'un«label biologique de l'UE» afin que les consommateurs et les agriculteurs sachent précisément ce que recouvre la notion d'aliment biologique.
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