Objectives
        •  The complex structure of EU agriculture
        •  The decision-making processes in the CAP
        •  How the CAP price support mechanisms work
        •  Characteristics of individual common market organisations
        •  The budgetary framework for CAP expenditure
        •  The ‘green money’ mechanism
        •  A critical assessment of the consequences of the CAP
                                            
                                     Reading
        •  Ackrill, R. 2000  The Common Agricultural Policy
        •  Tracy, M., 1997 Agricultural Policy in the European Union 
           and other Market Economies
        •  Fennell, 1997, The Common Agricultural Policy: 
           continuity and change
        •  Shucksmith, M., Thompson, K and Roberts, D., 2005, CAP 
           and the Regions: the territorial impact of the CAP
        •  Grant, W. 1997, The Common Agricultural Policy
        •  Ingersent, Rayner and Hine, 1998, The Reform of the 
           Common Agricultural Policy.
        •  Commission DG Agriculture and Food website
                                            
             Differing agricultural structures
                               
   Source: European Commission, The CAP Explained
                              Employment               Gross domestic product
                        1950     1973      1999       1950       1973       1999
        EU-15             :        :        4.5         :          :         1.8
        Belgium          12       3.9       2.4        8.8        4.2        1.2
        Denmark          22       9.4       3.3       20.0        9.0        2.0
        Germany          23       7.3       2.9       12.3        3.5        0.9
        Greece           54        :       17.0       33.5         :         7.1
        Spain            49        :        7.4       35.0         :         4.1
        France           32       11.9      4.3         :         6.5        2.4
        Ireland          40       25.1      8.6       31.3       19.0        2.9
        Italy            39       16.3      5.4       29.5        9.9        2.6
        Netherlands      19       6.6       3.2       12.9        5.8        2.4
        Austria          32        :        6.2       16.4         :         1.2
        Portugal         47        :       12.7       26.8         :         3.3
        Finland           :        :        6.4         :          :         0.9
        Sweden           18        :        3.0        7.0       n.a.        0.7
        UK                5       2.9       1.2        6.0        3.0        0.9
                                               
                      Number of       Average       Average      Per cent of   Per cent of 
                         farms       farm size     farm size     farms > 50  farms < 10 
                                                                     ha            ha
                          1997          1987          1997          1997          1997
                          ‘000           ha            ha            %             %
        EU-15               6,989.1             :         18.4           8.6          68.6
        Belgium                  67.2       17.3          20.6          10.0          44.2
        Denmark                  63.2       32.5          42.6          27.8          19.5
        Germany                534.4        17.6          32.1          14.1          45.6
        Greece                 821.4         5.3           4.3           0.4          90.0
        Spain               1,208.3         16.0          21.2           8.2          69.0
        France                 679.8        30.7          41.7          29.7          35.3
        Ireland                147.8        22.7          29.4          14.1          19.8
        Italy               2,315.2          7.7           6.4           1.8          87.4
        Netherlands            107.9        17.2          18.6           7.1          46.4
        Austria                210.1            :         16.3           4.0          46.4
        Portugal               416.7         8.3           9.2           2.3          87.5
                                                   
        Finland                  91.4           :         23.7           8.8          24.2
        Sweden                   89.6           :         34.7          20.2          29.8
        UK                     233.2        68.9          69.3          33.7          26.8