Greening Farm Payments under the 2013 CAP Reforms: A Major Stride towards “Sustainable Agriculture”?

Abstract:

The 2013 reforms of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) introduced a “greening component” with regard to agricultural practices beneficial for the climate and the environment.

The authors conclude that even though the legislative framework as subsequently enacted may have fallen short of original aspirations, there are good grounds for maintaining that the 2013 CAP reforms do constitute a step forward in developing the sustainability agenda. It is in their view imperative in any implementation of greening measures to strike the right balance between, on the one hand, a targeted approach which both accommodates individual conditions on the ground and is directed to specific outcomes and, on the other hand, the realisation of a regulatory framework which is administratively workable and proportionate.

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