Tribune | 22/07/2008 

Article published by the European Agenda.

A decisive date for European agriculture will be 2013. The 2003 compromise to freeze the level of agricultural spending will come to an end and new financial perspectives will be implemented. It could be the dawn of a new era for the Common Agricultural Policy, still governed by principles decided by the Treaty of Rome in 1957. But this will depend on the coming discussions in the European Council about the future of the CAP and the budget. Indeed if the health check doesn't become a discussion about the goals and tools of the CAP after 2013, Europeans will miss the chance to get a new agricultural policy. Firstly, the basis of the next financial perspectives will be set up in the 2008-2009 budget revision. After that it will be too late to introduce radical changes in the EU budget. Secondly, the European Agenda forecasts European elections and a new Commission in 2009. Once the political landscape changes, deep discussions such as big policy reform will be difficult to imagine. And if Europeans postpone their choices of a future CAP to 2010-2011, the new reform will be influenced by short-term perspectives...

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