Politics A2: Why has it proved difficult to reform the CAP?

Aylia

Any ideas? This was a an essay question in a past paper, and I can only think of French farmers for my answer.
Thanks!

Reply 1

Mark_KK

You do realise that if this comes up on the exam paper tomorrow (which it probably will as it seems a popular quesiton) we will have the whole Maths p2 situation all over again :biggrin:

Reply 2

babyboo

Aylia

Any ideas? This was a an essay question in a past paper, and I can only think of French farmers for my answer.
Thanks!

easy question, french farmers, right to veto, need of institutuional reform, came about whent her was only 6 members of EU didnt take into accout the financial implications. farmer lobby groups n pressure groups, tariffs n quotas, etc etc

Reply 3

Mark_KK

Impact on third world countries, prinicple of subsidising farmers (why not subsidise production of say...electronic goods too?) along with the new two tier c.a.p. to accomodate the new member states.

Reply 4

Imagashead

Aylia

Any ideas? This was a an essay question in a past paper, and I can only think of French farmers for my answer.
Thanks!

Why has it prooved difficult to reform the CAP?

-Basically there are two key reasons 1 that many countries have opposed reform and 2 that the EU's cumbersome decision making process has blocked reform, obviously both need much expansion:

1- A) As you mention many countries (particularly France but also Greece, Ireland, Spain and Portugal) have significant and strong farming lobbies which have campaigned against reform and - particularly French - are prepared to resort to direct action to oppose reform, making it hard for governments in those countries to support reform. In other words they run scared! B) A key reason why many countries have pushed for reform (eg. UK and Netherlands) is due to high cost of the CAP, however many countries are net recepients - in other words they get more out of it than they put in, in money terms - and thus the financial incentive to reform it for them is not there. In fact the opposite is true. C) Many countries have large farming sectors (those same countries again!) and thus major reform to the CAP could potentially cost important jobs - politically difficult to support in a democracy. D) Many farmers do very well out of the CAP and thus have a vested interest in keeping it like it is (particularly in yet the same set of countries). E) Many countries particularly in Southern Europe have very inefficient farmers and thus they fear in a free market their farmers would be unable to compete.

2- A) The agricultural lobby has the 'inside-ear' of the Commission and has been able to influence reform proposals before they have even been made (hence 03 reforms did not even propose a cut in the overall subsidy!). B) Although agriculture is not subject to veto's (as someone else I think mentioned) it is solely subject to Qualified Majority Voting in the Council (with no say for the Parliament - which has criticised it and would most likely attempt to trim it back). Whilst QMV doesn't allow any one country to block a proposal it allows only a few to do so, as just over 71% of the votes are required for a QMV, which has effectively allowed a small number of states to block it in the past. For example 62 out of 85 (before enlargement), thus France (10), Italy (10), and Spain (8) could block it between them (when we consider, the Irish, Portugese and Greeks have not been too keen either one can see why reform has been so slow). So in other words, QMV has allowed opposition from a number of countries to block reform.

BTW it says in the examiners reports on this question that they only want a summary of the problems of the CAP and thus the reasons why reform is needed and most of the answer on why its prooved difficult.

Reply 5

Aylia

Imagashead

Why has it prooved difficult to reform the CAP?

BTW it says in the examiners reports on this question that they only want a summary of the problems of the CAP and thus the reasons why reform is needed and most of the answer on why its prooved difficult.

Thank you thank you thank you! Seems strange, I knew about the problems of the CAP but that question stumped me for some reason. :rolleyes:

Reply 6

Mineko

Mark_KK

Impact on third world countries, prinicple of subsidising farmers (why not subsidise production of say...electronic goods too?) along with the new two tier c.a.p. to accomodate the new member states.

Even though electric goods are really useful etc we don't need them to survive in the way we need food! One of the reasons CAP was brought about was because the original Euro six feared food shortages like the ones after the war. Arguably it is not needed anymore (but better safe than sorry, ay?)