The Swedish Presidency of the EU, which starts on 1 July, has identified two main priorities related to agriculture, namely the relationship between agriculture and climate change and animal health and welfare. In addition, discussions on the future of the CAP beyond 2013 look set to continue informally.

The need for CAP expenditure (currently more than 40% of the total EU budget) to be justified and effectively targeted – given competing spending priorities such as competitiveness and R&D in line with the Lisbon Agenda – was the theme of a recent conference held in Brussels.

On 23 June, the German Marshall Fund of the United States is hosting a half day conference in Brussels entitled 'From the CAP to Competitiveness: The Common Agricultural Policy and the European Budget'.

A recent report by IEEP assesses the influence of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) on livestock and feed production. The study then explores policy options for promoting more sustainable forms of livestock production, including through reform of the CAP both in its current form and in the longer term (post-2013).

The Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has published its vision for the CAP after 2013. The Ministry argues in favour of retaining the structure and level of funding of the CAP largely in its current form. The document suggests that all Member States should move towards a flat rate per hectare model for the Single Payment Scheme, which should be justified as compensation for the provision of public goods, without implying any fundamental retargeting of direct payments.

In this new CAP2020 Member State Reform Profile, the position of France on further reform of the CAP is discussed. The French Government's position is characterised by a kind of ambiguity. On the one hand, it is in favour of retaining the CAP largely in its current form after 2013, yet on the other it recognises that a post-2013 CAP needs to be re-legitimised.