The Environmental Dimension of the Common Agricultural Policy – An Overview. EIPA Paper: 01/05/PPE

Pezaros, Pavlos D. (2001) The Environmental Dimension of the Common Agricultural Policy – An Overview. EIPA Paper: 01/05/PPE .

Abstract

[From the Introduction]. The present paper aims to give a comprehensive overview of the environmental dimension of CAP, as it has developed during its operation for almost half century. For this purpose, it is divided into five sections. The second section highlights the most important legislative environmental measures taken by the (then) EEC, which are directly or exclusively related to agriculture and agricultural activity. The third section is focused on the environmental elements of the 1992 reform of CAP, which practically constituted a turning point in relation to bringing CAP closer to environmental concerns. The forth section is dedicated to the latest developments of the Agenda 2000 CAP reforms, as regards, in particular, the links between the rural development policy and the agrienvironmental targets as well as the steps towards integrating further and more rapidly the environmental protection requirements into the CAP. Finally, the paper summarises some hypotheses concerning the future prospects of fully integrating environmental concerns into the CAP and effectively promoting a sustainable development for European agriculture.