Central and Eastern European agriculture in an expanding European Union

Book abstract:

One of the most difficult problems facing EU agriculture in the next decade will result from the proposed enlargement of the EU to include the associated Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC). The two main agricultural issues raised by this enlargement are the relative competitiveness of CEEC agriculture and its potential to cause difficulties for the Common Agricultural Policy. This book reports the results of a major research project that has addressed these issues. The project was funded by the European Commission, and was pursued by agricultural economists from four universities in Belgium, Germany and the UK. The CEEC's mainly covered are Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia.

Overall, the message of the book is that determined policy efforts are still required in both Central and Eastern Europe and the EU and in the accession negotiations to make the eastward enlargement a success in the agricultural and food sector. The book aims to identify some of the major issues that require policy action on both sides.

The chapters are: Transformation of CEEC agriculture and integration with the EU: progress and issues; Development of a policy information system for agricultural sectors in transition countries; Total productivity of emergent farm structures in Central and Eastern Europe; Transfers and distortions along CEEC food supply chains; Effects of CEEC-EU accession on agricultural markets in the CEEC and on government expenditure; Macroeconomic implications of EU accession; European integration and the political economy of Central and Eastern European agricultural price and trade policy; Conclusions and implications for food and agricultural policy in the process of accession to the EU.

This book will be invaluable to advanced students, researchers and policy-makers in agricultural economics, general economics and European studies.