ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the development of the Agenda 2000 reforms. The Agenda 2000 reforms went through a long and convoluted political process approval, similar to the previous MacSharry reforms. The European Union instituted its Agenda 2000 reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy at the April 1999 Berlin summit. The Common Agricultural Policy budget seemed under control, markets were in better balance, consumption had increased, stocks disappeared, and, contrary to expectations, farm income increased. The German agriculture minister, Jochen Borchert, led the opposition, saying that he could see "very few positive things" about the proposal. The Agriculture Council intensively debated Agenda 2000 in a series of meetings held during the autumn of 1997. Commissioner Fischler vigorously defended the Commission's Agenda 2000 proposals in meetings of the Agricultural Council and in various public forums. Within the Commission, Agriculture Commissioner Fischler and Directorate General for Agriculture had the dominant position, since they had the responsibility for developing the proposal.
