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CAP towards 2020

Common Agricultural Policy (CAP): Looking Ahead

Public debate on the future of the CAP

Prior to setting down initial policy guidelines for the new CAP on 12 April 2010, Dacian Cioloş, the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, had launched a public debate on the future of the CAP inviting all interested EU citizens and organisations to participate.

The following questions were asked by the European Commission to launch the debate:

  1. What should be the objectives of future rural development policy?
  2. How can policy instruments be made more effective?
  3. How can policy management be improved?

On the 14 April 2010 an extraordinary meeting of the ENRD Coordination Committee was held at which the members were invited to launch the public debate on the CAP in their respective countries and organisations.

The members were requested to send their contributions by 3 June 2010. To read contributions by country, as well as the synthesis of these contributions, click here.

On the basis of this debate the European Commission presented on 18 November 2010 a Communication on "The CAP towards 2020", which outlines options for the future CAP.

European Commission’s legal proposals for rural development after 2013

On 12 October 2011 the Commission presented a set of legal proposals for the period 2014-2020. The proposals included a draft regulation covering support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). This new EAFRD proposal builds on rural development policy’s CAP foundations and is closely aligned to the Europe 2020 strategy for growth.

Following consultations and political agreement between the European Commission, the EU Member States (in the Council) and the European Parliament, the four basic regulations of the reformed CAP were approved and published in December 2013.

Further information

For further background information on the public debate please click on the following links:

  • Commissioner Cioloş' speech on ‘The future of European agricultural policy - Call for a public debate’ April 2010 [PDF ]
  • Questions on the rural development aspects [PDF ]
  • ENRD Coordination committee presentation on the public debate on the CAP after 2013, April 2010 [PDF ]
  • Synthesis of contributions received through the ENRD (13/07/2010) [PDF ]

For more information on the 2014-2020 Common Agricultural Policy reform process including the wider CAP debate please refer to the official web page of the European Commission’s Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development.