ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on an ambitious task, to identify the causes of CAP reforms in the 1980s, with particular attention to the MacSharry reform (MSR). It focuses on the forces that led to and shaped the MSR, allowing an improved ability to forecast future developments. The chapter highlights the uncertainty surrounding future paths for the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP). It discusses movement to a decoupled and market oriented CAP or largely maintaining the existing CAP, with fairly minor changes. The chapter provides an interesting and thoughtful review of CAP reform in the 1980s. It outlines the main issues influencing the past process of CAP reform, highlighting the political economy issues as well as some of the program detail. The chapter provides a useful perspective from which to re-appraise the MacSharry reforms. It discusses a number of shortcomings in the compensation mechanism suggested in the MSR.
