ABSTRACT
The time for radical reform is with the prospect of enlargement of the Community to Central and Eastern Europe, financial reform of the European Union (EU) institutions and General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade forcing the pace. The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) takes around half the entire EU budget. The Agenda 2000 reform proposals indicate that by 2006, 50 billion European Currency Units (ECU) will be spent on market support with only 2.1 bn ECU on new rural measures in addition to 2.8 bn ECU on the three existing agri-environment, early retirement and afforestation measures. The European Commission published Agenda 2000 in July 1997. Commission President Santer also stated in a speech to the European Parliament that any starting point for CAP reform must focus on animal welfare and a return to more natural production methods. The National Farmers Union in the UK would like CAP reform to go much faster and further.
