ABSTRACT
The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is a key policy within the EU, both politically and financially, and an interesting subject of study due to the fact that it has undergone many changes over the years (Dinan 2005; Fouilleux 2006; Nedergaard 1995). This chapter approaches the CAP from a national perspective by comparing the positions of the Danish and Swedish governments towards the policy over time. Denmark and Sweden are both non-founding members of the EU; they are both Nordic European EU member states with numerous similar attitudes towards the environment, Third World countries and trade liberalisation. Yet the Danish government’s position towards the CAP has undergone a radical change, whereas the Swedish position has remained fairly constant. What accounts for this variation towards the CAP in the two countries? An answer to this key question is found in a comparative historical analysis of the development of Danish and Swedish government policy on the CAP. To account for continuity and change in government positions, historical institutionalism is taken as the theoretical foundation in order to examine continuity and change. The structure of the chapter is as follows. First, the theories and concepts are presented. The developments of the CAP are then analysed, after which the analysis of the Danish and Swedish government positions on the CAP is presented, followed by a comparison of the two member states and the conclusion.
