Navigating EU fertiliser policy through turbulent times
The governance of nitrogen fertiliser markets in the European Union has long been shaped by a fundamental and persistent tension...
Import dependence for nitrogen supply
Nitrogen is a critical input to agricultural production. In the EU, approximately half of this nutrient is supplied from organic...
Fitting the CAP into the next MFF long-term budget
The Commission Communication on The road to the next multiannual financial framework published in February 2025 put forward several proposals...
Trump II tariffs and the EU agri-food sector
That the US now intends to impose additional tariffs of 25% on EU exports (along with those of other countries)...
Exemptions to the Enhanced Conditionality of the Common Agricultural Policy: Exercised, Exploited or Eschewed?
We are pleased to welcome this guest post by Pieter Zwaan. Dr. Pieter Zwaan is a Senior Research Fellow at...
Very limited impact of Mercosur Partnership Agreement on the EU beef market
The EU reached a negotiated agreement on the final texts of what is now called the EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement on...
Agricultural policy reform in England and the 2024 UK budget
UK farmers are preparing to protest tomorrow November 19th outside Parliament against inheritance tax changes in the new Labour Government...
How net balances might influence Member State views on the size of the next CAP budget
In this post, I look at Member State net budget balances when it comes to CAP expenditure – which Member...
The overlooked role of exchange rates in EU agricultural competitiveness
My attention was caught by a post on X (formerly Twitter) this week from Franz Sinabell, economist at the Austrian...
What can we learn from the dismantling of GAEC 8?
Annex III of the CAP Strategic Plans Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 sets out the conditionality rules that farmers seeking CAP payments...
What does the outcome of the European Parliament elections mean for EU agrifood policy?
The confirmation of Ursula von der Leyen’s nomination as Commission President by the European Parliament today may give the appearance...
Introducing a tax on agricultural GHG emissions? The Danish case
In its first progress report on EU climate policy published in January 2024, the newly-established European Scientific Advisory Board on...
Long-term structural change in EU agriculture
The reduction in the number of farms and farmers in the EU has attracted increasing attention in this EU legislative...
Target-compatible Environmental Payments under the CAP – Economic Requirements and Legal Scope
This guest post is contributed by Prof. Dr. Rudolf Mögele and Prof. Dr. Martin Scheele. Prof. Dr. Rudolf Mögele is...
What does the Commission’s proposed 2040 climate target mean for agriculture? – Alan Matthews
On 6 February last, the Commission published its Communication Securing our future: Europe’s 2040 climate target and path to climate...
Who feeds Europe, and how much do they earn?
One of the demands in the ongoing farmer protests is for fair prices and a fair income. But how many...
What is actually happening with agricultural incomes?
Farming protests are currently taking place in several European countries. Several reasons are advanced for what is prompting these demonstrations...
The European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change 2024 progress report and agricultural emissions reduction
The newly established European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change (ESABCC) first made its mark when delivering its advice to...
Contrasting recent decisions on pesticides
During the past week, I was intrigued by a post on the social media platform X from Pascal Canfin, Chair...
Trilogues begin on the Certification Framework for Carbon Removals Regulation
The Commission put forward its legislative proposal for a Certification Framework for Carbon Removals (CFCR) in November 2022. The Regulation...
How to advance the green transition in the next CAP post 2027
Even though the latest changes in the CAP regulations only came into force on 1 January this year, attention is...
Carbon removal certification and carbon farming
The concept of ‘net zero’ greenhouse gas emissions enshrined as the EU target in the European Climate Law implies that...
Food prices stabilising but yet to fall
I wrote a blog post in March this year “Food price inflation gathers pace” which used inflation data up to...
What can we learn from New Zealand’s experience in introducing a scheme to price agricultural emissions?
The European Union is pondering the possible introduction of a pricing scheme for agricultural emissions as a way to accelerate...
Food price inflation gathers pace
Overall inflation in the EU shows some tentative signs of moderating in the latest figures for the Harmonised Index of...
The changing distribution of CAP direct payments over time
The distribution of CAP direct payments among farmers has been a continued source of controversy ever since the Commission’s 1991...
2022: a record year for farm income
2022 was a challenging year for farming in the EU. Buffeted by weather extremes, disease outbreaks and rising input costs...
Regulating the most polluting livestock farms is justified
This post was first published in Acid News No. 4, December 2022 and is reproduced here with permission. In April...
Tracking structural change in EU agriculture – Alan Matthews
Let me welcome you to the first blog post on capreform.eu since I last posted in July. The long absence was due...
EU throws hand grenade into global agri-food trade
On 6 July 2022 the EU circulated to WTO Members its proposed revisions to Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for two...
Taking developing country interests into account when designing Green Deal trade policies
Today I gave a presentation on the implications of the European Green Deal for agri-food trade with developing countries to...
Antibiotic legislation as a mirror clause
The first priority of the French EU Presidency in the first half of 2022 under the ‘Agriculture and forestry’ heading...
Price formation in the market for organic products
The Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM, the competition authority) has recently published the second of a series of...
Trade impacts of Brexit
Trade data on trade between the EU and the UK for the first six months of this year confirm what...
Future agri-food export promotion policy
DG AGRI organised a two-day conference on its forthcoming agri-food promotion policy review on 12-13 July 2021. The conference was part of...
Can the next CAP help to achieve Green Deal targets?
Whether the next CAP can help EU agriculture to meet the targets set out in the European Green Deal is...
The EU’s position in global agri-food trade
We have become used to the mantra that the EU is both the world’s largest agri-food exporter but also its...
Making the transition from income support to a sustainable agriculture in the CAP
The CAP in recent decades has been largely an income support policy, particularly since the decoupling of direct payments after...
Mitigating agricultural emissions
Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture (almost entirely non-CO2 emissions as defined in IPCC Sector 3) fell slightly in the EU-27...
EU agricultural emissions trends in comparative perspective
The EU sees itself as a global leader in climate action. The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was...
