CAP2020 Debating the future of the Common Agricultural Policy - newsletter

New IEEP Policy Briefing Available: Public Goods Emerging as a Central Rationale for Future CAP Support
The reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has gained momentum over the last few months, helped along by Agriculture Commisioner Dacian Ciolos' large public consultation initiative. As we move closer to the much anticipated release of the Commission's Communication on a post 2013 CAP expected in November, the issues and priorities surrounding the role and rationale of a future policy are emerging. Recent rhetoric at the Commissioner's conference on 20 July, which assembled key stakeholders for a discussion surrounding the consultation responses, suggests that this reform could mark a significant shift in policy - particularly towards the use of public money to support to provision of public goods. In this briefing we examine the concept of public goods and analyse how it is currently being used in the debate. A clarification of the term is given and further insight is provided on how the principle may be applied to the CAP, and the tools required to deliver public goods from agriculture to society are assessed. As the public goods agenda rapidly gains ground as an economic justification for future support in the reform debate, it is increasingly imperative that all stakeholders have the same understanding of this important concept. This briefing offers a concise and thoughtful overview of the topic, from the authors of DG Agriculture's Provision of public goods through agriculture in the EU.

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