What are the possible influences affecting the future environmental agricultural policy in the European Union? An investigation into the main factors

This paper is built on a summary of the findings of a research report, entitled 'European Common Agricultural Policy: An analysis of the main factors affecting its future environmental policy', which aimed to identify and examine the main factors that could influence the development of the environmental policy of the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in the future. After the analysis of different factors that were recognised as being possible influences (e.g. GMOs, Montreal Protocol, Kyoto Protocol etc.) three main factors were identified that could influence policy development; these were: the World Trade Organisation and the on-going negotiations concerning the Agreement on Agriculture, and the expansion/enlargement of the European Union, the greening of the agricultural agenda, including concepts such as rural development and the increasing interest in organic farming. The conclusion reached by the research was that the World Trade Organisation has the potential to cause the biggest influence on the future environmental policy of the CAP. The issue of the enlargement of the European Union was seen as the chance for development of the industry in both the current members and the candidate countries. It was also found that the greening debate will continue to develop and influence policy in the future in combination with the other factors.