Simplifying the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)

2009 Communication: A simplified CAP for Europe - a success for all

In March 2009, the Commission adopted a Communication on Simplification of the CAP. An impressive number of CAP-related simplification projects have been completed over the last couple of years. The Communication takes stock and provides an overview of what has been accomplished since the adoption of the 2005 Communication.

The Communication highlights the activities that have been carried out since 2005, and provides indications of the resulting reduction in administrative burden for farmers and administrations. Special attention is given to the activities carried out in the context of the rolling Simplification Action Plan [pdf] (see also: State of play March 2009 [pdf]), as well as the single CMO, the 2007 study on administrative burden for farms and the results of the Health Check process. To conclude, the communication explores paths to further simplification actions in the future.

Communication from the Commission:  "A simplified CAP for Europe - a success for all"  (18/03/2009) available [pdf] in: Press release available in:   Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel: Presentation of the Communication available in: Citizens' summary available [pdf] in:

2005 Communication: On Simplification and Better Regulation for the Common Agricultural Policy

As part of its ongoing drive to reduce the regulatory burden and red-tape, the European Commission proposed in 2005 a major simplification of the Common Agricultural Policy with the aim to reduce red tape for both farmers and administrations by making rules more transparent, easier to understand and less burdensome to comply with.

The Commission has carried out a number of simplification actions since the mid-1990s. The Communication forms part of the CAP's contribution to better regulation and realising the objectives of the "Lisbon Strategy".

As a fully integrated common policy, the CAP obviously replaces a large quantity of national legislation which would otherwise exist. Agricultural and rural development policies are by nature complex, reflecting the need to meet a wide range of agricultural conditions and administrative traditions, and both internal and external policy objectives.

However, the Commission shares the concerns increasingly expressed by farmers over the burdens of red tape. For this reason, the concept of "technical simplification" aims at complementing the agricultural reforms by focusing on revision of the legal framework, administrative procedures and management mechanisms to achieve streamlining and greater cost effectiveness, without changing the underlying policies. The Communication underlines that simplification must not become a pretext to reopen policy decisions.

The Communication proposed to:

• identify and eliminate unnecessary or out of date provisions through a "legal audit" of existing rules, and to improve the structure and presentation of agricultural law;
• amalgamate the existing Common Market Organisations (CMOs) into a single CMO. The aim is to provide a single set of harmonised rules in the classic areas of market policy such as intervention, private storage, import tariff quotas, export refunds, safeguard measures, state aid rules, communications and reporting of data, without changing the substance of the existing instruments and mechanisms;
• assist national administrations to quantify and reduce burdens imposed on farmers.

Communication from the Commission on Simplification and Better Regulation for the Common Agricultural Policy  (19/10/2005) pdf available in: Press release  Background memo

Fact Sheet: "Simplification of the Common Agricultural Policy" [pdf] (03/2006)

Related information:

CAP "Health Check"

Directory of Community legislation on  agriculture

Better  regulation

Impact Assessment