Files
Abstract
Expected impacts due to recently introduced CAP reforms can be felt beyond the agricultural
sector affecting the entire regional economy. Employment levels will be affected within the
farming sector and probably non-agricultural sector will feel the pinch too. Policies
influencing employment levels attract the attention of the media and the public. Therefore,
policy makers are more sensitive on employment issues than rural and agricultural policies as
it is widely admitted that no vibrant regions in Europe can be envisioned without enhancing
job opportunities. The influence of CAP reform on employment has not been thoroughly
studied within a comprehensive approach, accounting for agricultural and non-agricultural
effects and covering the diversity of EU rural regions. In this research work, five EU regions
[Emilia Romagna (IT), East Wales (UK), Anatoliki Makedonia and Thraki (GR),
Östergötland (SWE) and Kassel (GER)] have been selected and studied to identify and
measure CAP’s effects on employment throughout the regional economy. A framework of
three different approaches (Participatory Process/desk research, PMP, I-O) was developed
and then applied to those five EU regions to trace out the current and anticipated employment
effects of Pillar I and II. The main focus of this work is on consolidating results derived from
different models, applied to five EU regions, to deduce valuable policy generalizations and to
derive conclusions that guide policy makers on decisions related to regional and rural
development. The results offer a comprehensive picture of the impacts of CAP reforms on
regional economies and employment enriching the understanding of the range and diversity
of contexts in which CAP is being applied.