Agriculture in the EU

INTRODUCTION

The European Union (EU ) is a supranational and intergovernmental union of 27 states in Europe . It was established in 1992 by the Treaty on European Union (The Maastricht Treaty , and is the de facto successor to the six-member European Economic Community founded in 1957 . Since then new accessions have raised its number of member states , and competences have expanded . The EU is the current stage of a continuing open-ended process of European integration

The EU is one of the largest economic and political entities in the world , with 494 million

people and a combined nominal GDP of ?11 .6 14 .5 ) trillion in 2006

Concerning agriculture

The European Union has a common agriculture policy (CAP ) that is comprised of a set of rules and mechanisms , which regulate the production , trade and processing of agricultural products in the European Union (EU , with attention being focused increasingly on rural development

The Common Agricultural Policy was created primarily as a result of the Second World War and its effects on agriculture in Europe . Due to the post-war shortages it was realized that assistance was urgently required by the agricultural sector for development and investment purposes within this area . Agriculture was a main concern for Europe after the war with every country experiencing shortages and wishing to reach a level of self-sufficiency where-by they could produce all there agricultural produce needs by themselves . The CAP is usually under the mandate of the European council of ministers (agriculture formation The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP ) is funded by an EU central fund called the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund or EAGGF It has been One of the major driving forces behind the intensification of farming in Europe over the last 50 years It is mandated to perform the following tasks

Increasing agricultural productivity by promoting technical progress and ensuring the rational development of agricultural production and the optimum utilization of the factors of production , in particular labor

Ensuring a fair standard of living for the agricultural community , in particular by increasing the individual earnings of persons engaged in agriculture

Stabilizing markets

Ensuring the availability of supplies

Ensuring that supplies reach the consumers at reasonable prices

Intensification , as this shift in agricultural practice is known , is characterized by An increase in water abstraction , particularly in southern European countries such as Italy

Portugal and Spain , to enhance productivity An increase in the use of heavy machinery such as combined harvesters A reduction in the number of people employed on the land The removal of hedgerows , walls and wooded areas to provide a greater area for cultivation High inputs of man-made fertilizers and pesticides to allow year-round cultivation Widespread drainage of wetland habitats to bring more land under cultivation Periods of extended cultivation through the introduction of winter-sown crops Rapid technological advances including new biotechnology and the introduction of new crop

Varieties

Benefits to farmers and /or consumers

The common agriculture policy gives farmers subsidies that help them increase their output

By setting European prices higher the...