EU enlargement and agriculture: Risks and opportunities

The report is divided into two parts. The first part deals with key issues in the relationship between farming, society and the environment in the context of EU enlargement: pesticides and fertilisers in arable farming; animal welfare and food safety in livestock farming; social and economic aspects of agriculture; impacts of agriculture on landscape, biodiversity, air, water and soil; extensive farming on meadows and pastures; genetically modified agriculture; and organic and integrated agriculture. Each chapter shows the situation in the EU-15, the situation in the CEE countries, the potential impacts of the enlargement, the relevant EU policy instruments and concludes with policy recommendations aimed at decision-makers in the new Member States.

The second part explains how the Common Agricultural Policy works, its history, structure and budget. It also describes how the CAP has been reformed and shows why further change is needed. Last but not least, it explains how this complex policy is being extended to the new Member States, with particular emphasis on the second pillar of CAP - rural development.

Friends of the Earth Europe: Press Release, 15.10.04: CAP cash starts rolling into New Europe - but with no environmental safeguards http://www.foeeurope.org/press/2004/MK_15_Oct_CAP.htm

---