A new report published by DG Agriculture shows that reducing CAP Pillar One payments by up to 20 per cent appears to have a negligible impact on agricultural commodity production and the viability of farm businesses at the EU level, while redirecting these funds to Pillar Two, leads to significant additional beneficial impacts.

IEEP and WWF launch a discussion paper to raise the profile of biodiversity in the context of the EU budget.

The conclusions of last months Agriculture and Fisheries Council, including key decisions on the Common Fisheries Policy Controls, the dairy situation, poultry marketing standards and GMOs.

Agriculture must become more productive if it is to feed a much larger world population while responding to the daunting environmental challenges ahead, FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf told 300 experts from around the world at a two day forum discussing policy responses to the impacts of climate change.

Speculation surrounding the future of a post 2013 EU budget was fuelled last week with the leaking of a first draft of the Commission’s paper emanating from the 2008/2009 EU Budget Review.

In this IEEP CAP2020 Policy Briefing, we review the future of the CAP in light of the upcoming appointment of a new Agriculture Commissioner and forthcoming Commission green paper, expected in autumn next year. We review the challenges faced in the creation of a CAP fit for 2020, and look at the implications of these for the future of EU agricultural policy.

If Irish voters deliver a 'yes' vote in the referendum on the Lisbon Treaty taking place today, then the role of the European Parliament is likely to become increasingly important in the CAP decision making process. A recent report by IEEP provides an overview of some of the new EP committees.

The budget has succeeded in providing continued and stable funding as well as avoiding placing additional financial burdens on Member States, in a year characterised by significant economic turbulence.

Talks held in Växjö, Sweden, at the recent informal meeting of EU agriculture ministers, focused on the theme of 'agriculture and climate change'. Member States emphasised the need for an increase in support for research and development, although no legislative proposals were put on the table.

While the CAP reform debate is in full swing, the UK countries have been consulting on the structure and content of their future agricultural policies as part of the transition away from the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy.

30 actions to transform the Commission’s proposals into a genuine transition tool.

Just a few days before EU Agriculture Ministers meet for the informal Council in Vienna and on the basis of the preparatory questions sent by the presidency to the delegations, the authors of this blog post identify the key elements for securing vibrant rural areas in the future CAP.

Those of us with long memories of CAP reforms know that there can be many dramas, dead ends and diversions along the way. Nonetheless, there has been a discernible direction of travel for two decades or more.