Current situation
The Common Agricultural Policy is a common policy that receives most of its finances through the EU budget. Not suprisingly, it absorbs almost half of the EU budget, which amounts to 47 billion Euros annually (2003). But also from the environmental perspective, agriculture is also one of the most important sectors in the EU. The way farming is practiced has far reaching consequences for the working and natural environment. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment of the UN confirmed that agriculture is one of the main causes of environmental stress in the world. Farming systems today are frequently environmentally damaging, cause excessive suffering to farm animals and are highly unsustainable, for example, by degrading soils and extracting water at irresponsible rates. There are, however, also a lot of farming systems which benefit biodiversity, the so called High Nature Value Farming systems (http://reports.eea.eu.int/report_2004_1/en ). The CAP plays an important role for both types of agricultural systems. In the past, the CAP has been one of the drivers for the tremendous environmental problems associated with the intensification of agriculture and has played its part in contributing to the depletion of biodiversity. However, the CAP can also support environmentally friendly ways of farming and sustainable rural development. Unfortunately, funds for such measures remain very limited and are currently even at risk from further cuts. A further shift in support from market measures and direct payments to environmentally friendly farming, embedded in a sustainable rural development policy will be necessary, with a responsible attitude towards farmers in developing countries.

What is the EEB doing?
The Agriculture Working Group of the EEB is a unique forum where environmentalists from across Europe discuss agriculture issues from their different perspectives. Representatives from almost all EU member states, both old and new, and many Accession Countries work together in this group. The EEB gave input to the mid-term review of the CAP which was adopted in June 2003. The members of the agricultural working group are actively involved in making the implementation of the CAP on the national level more environmentally sustainable as well as socially just. The EEB's agriculture working group has prepared recommendations for the future of rural development policy from 2007 (see publications).

The EEB has also given input into the development of the European Action Plan for Organic Food and Farming, which was published by the European Commission in June 2004. Furthermore, the EEB is involved in the review of the EU's biodiversity policy and takes part in the working group meetings of the Biodiversity Action Plan for Agriculture, organised by the European Commission. At the moment the EEB is also following the development of the Biomass Action Plan and the redefinition of intermediate Less Favoured Areas.

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	For more information, please contact: Pieter de Pous, EEB Policy officer email: pieter.depous@eeb.org