EU의 공동농업정책과 중ㆍ동유럽국가의 EU가입

Common Agricultural Policy and Eastern Enlargement of the EU

Common Agricultural Policy and Eastern Enlargement of the EU Since the establishiment of European Community, the Common Agricultural Policy has played important role in integrating the european countries. The increase of the agricultural productivity so important that Europe produced more agricultural products than their consumers needed. To achieve this extraordinary performance, European Community had to spend more than half of its annual expenditure which caused very serious conflicts between big agricultural producers like France, Spain, Italy, Greece and small agricultural producers like Germany, United Kingdom and most of the northern european countries. Uruguay Round negotiation was a good chance to remedy this conflict in Common Agricultural Policy. European Community-by the name of MacSharry-had to give up partly its price-support system io the market by decoupling the relationship between the volume of production and payment and remove the barriers for foreign agricultural products sto be imported in the european market. Target price was reduced and more land had to be let aside(which means abandoned to cultivate). Agenda 2000 followed the basic principle of the MacSharry reform. But it prepared to the enlargement of the EC to the East and Central European Countries. The reform of June, 2003 adopted new concept to the Common Agricultural Policy by introducing rural development plan. European farmers can be paid their money only when they fulfill new duties like environmental protection acts, forest preserve, animal’s welfare etc. Policy focus moved to the environmental protection agriculture. Joining of Ten New Countries to the European Union gives chances and risks at the same time to EU. Historically it’s a great achievement nobody could realize before. The whole Europe has unified peacefully for the first time in its history. But economicaly it will cause big troubles to EU by producing new conflicts between the rich countries and the poor countries, early members and late members. Common Agricultural Policy could no more give a big gift to the new comers. Furthermore WTO urge free trade system of agricultural goods. EU can no more protect their own agriculture behind the Common Agricultural Policy.