It is widely recognised that agriculture has an important role in the provision of a wide range of public goods in Europe and this forms a core element of the Commission’s current proposals for the future of the CAP post 2013, supported by Commissioners Cioloş (agriculture), Potočnik (environment) and Hedegaard (climate). However, there is still considerable lack of clarity on whether the proposals in their current form will deliver real improvements in practice, particularly for the environment.

At the request of the Policy Unit of the European Parliament, this report considers some of the options for redesigning the CAP to deliver improved public goods outcomes, considering the pros and cons of different options financially, politically and in terms of their potential impacts.

The report can also be found at the following link:
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/activities/committees/studies/download.do?language=en&file=41388

• Redesigning the CAP to deliver public goods PDF 1.2 MB