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Abstract
Policy-makers are quarrelling about the
future of the Common Agricultural Policy
(CAP). France intends to conclude a CAP
reform during its 2008 EU Presidency
before a thorough Budget Review is due
in 2009 that will revise CAP spending.
The Doha Round of WTO negotiations
might necessitate further decisions on
agricultural tariff cuts at any time. This
Policy Brief provides recommendations
for agricultural policy reform in the EU. It
argues, first, that all measures that distort
market prices and production should be
abolished. This includes production quotas,
land set-asides, storage aids, export
refunds, output payments, and area payments.
Second, the Single Farm Payment
(SFP), which provides income support
to farmers independently of their current
production decisions, should be phased
out because it does not serve any societal
need. Third, targeted subsidies that
reward farmers for providing socially valued
services that are not remunerated on
the market, such as maintaining scenic
landscapes, should be adapted. Many of
these subsidies should be provided at
the national or local level without or with
little EU co-financing.