The Agenda 2000 debate and CAP reform in Great Britain. Is the environment being sidelined?

This paper considers the environmental implications of the CAP reforms proposed in Agenda 2000. The CAP has been widely criticized for its financial profligacy and the creation of conditions which encourage environmentally damaging farming practices. Although the CAP was reformed in 1992 there has been growing pressure for further radical reform. In Agenda 2000 the European Commission present a set of revised policy objectives for agriculture which build upon the reforms of 1992. Empirical data from a representative sample of 558 British farmers is used to determine the environmental impact of the 1992 reforms and assess potential impact of Agenda 2000 proposals. The survey found that the environmental benefits of the reforms in the arable sector were minimal and that predictions of a move toward more extensive crop production using fewer inputs had not materialized. In the livestock sector dairying continued the pre-reform trend of specialization and intensification while the majority of beef and sheep producers remained unaffected by the introduction of stocking density regulations. It is concluded that the proposals contained within Agenda 2000 are unlikely to result in a more environmentally benign agriculture unless specific environmental goals are articulated and accompanied by appropriate policy mechanissm.