Since the creation of the European Community and the single European market by the Treaties of Rome, the modalities of a common market of foodstuffs had been a central concern in European affairs. As Robert Ackrill points out, "the CAP is one of the most pervasive of all EU policies, one of the most infamous and perhaps one of the most misunderstood" (Ackrill, 2000, p. 16). First designed in order to avoid future food shortages that had been known during the Second World War, and to protect an agricultural sector vital for the well functioning of European States, the Common Agricultural Policy eventually came to surpass its initials objectives. Thus by the 1970s, Europe had transformed its status of net importer of foodstuffs to become a net exporter toward third world countries (Hennis, 2008, p.331). Since then, market protectionism, production of surpluses and export of subsidized agricultural products started affecting the global food chain. In a increasingly globalized world, the effects of CAP's instruments prevented market access by the use of import tariffs barriers and distorted global trade by the use of export subsidies, became unbearable for other countries.
[...] Winners under the CAP regime are most likely to be net importers of agricultural products. In that particular case, consumers can enjoy cheaper supplies coming directly from the EU or indirectly benefit from lower prices on the world market due to European products' pressures. However, when one considers that the developing countries' economies are mainly based on agriculture, it appears that the category of countries benefiting from cheaper imports is limited. External pressures for reform There is an ongoing debate among scholars regarding to the pressures exerted on the process of reforming the Common Agricultural Policy. [...]
[...] Thus an important shift regarding the budgeting of the CAP from pillar 1 to pillar 2 was achieved by the implementation of the Single Farm Payment (SFP). The SFP is “linked to the respect of environmental, food safety, animal and plant health and animal welfare standards, as well as the requirement to keep all farmland in good agricultural and environmental condition” (Commission, 2003). The WTO multilateral talks over the Doha Development Agenda started in November 1991 with once again, an important concern over agricultural products' trade liberalization. [...]
[...] Conclusion on the future of the CAP The Common Agricultural Policy has considerably evolved since its creation in 1962. It has done so under different pressures than can be taken into consideration among which its budget and its international impacts appear to be the most important ones. Thus, as the global trade of agricultural products have become increasingly important thorough the 1990s, coupled with an outstrip of its initial objective, its trade distorting effects over third countries have proportionally increased. [...]
[...] What is the international role of the CAP and how does it affect its future? Introduction Since the creation of the European Community and the single European market by the Treaties of Rome, the modalities of a common market of foodstuffs had been a central concern in European affairs. As Robert Ackrill points out: “the CAP is one of the most pervasive of all EU policies, one of the most infamous and perhaps one of the most misunderstood” (Ackrill p. [...]
[...] That interventionist system was destined to guarantee farmers a minimum price for their agricultural production, encouraging them to produce more and modernize their infrastructures. Evolution and mechanisms affecting the global market During the first decade after its creation, the CAP system was performing rather well to fulfil the requirements given by the Treaty of Rome. Member states were encouraged to produce more and more domestically and therefore were to achieve the aim of self-sufficiency within the European Community. However, since the 1970's, the policy of market and price support was engendering surpluses of production and started affecting the global food chain (Hennis p. [...]
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