The problem

Individual countries develop agricultural policies that evolve from and focus on their specific national needs. As new countries join the EU, there is a need to harmonise policies for the greater good of the European Union and to maximise the application of economic expertise. This would be aided greatly with the creation of a network of experts involved in agricultural policy analysis in the new Member States, candidate countries and the countries of the western Balkans so as to support the formulation of Union agricultural policies focusing on market and rural development policies.

Overview:

CEEC Agri-Policy will:

• Produce a database of organisations and experts with an interest in agricultural policy in the New Member States, candidate countries and the western Balkans. The database will help experts and organisations to initiate co-operative economic research and to identify other experts or organisations with specific competencies

• Identify the research potential in the field of agricultural policy analysis of the organisations (type, size, production and productivity), scientists (level and sector of education, age, gender etc.) and foremost specialists in agricultural policy analysis in each country covered by the project

Contribution to policy development:

• CEEC Agri Policy will gather and provide expert economic advice to inform the debate and decision-making on new agricultural policy in an enlarged EU.
• The database and network of individual and organisation specialists in agricultural economics will provide policy-makers and negotiators with rapid access to
  expert advice.
• The project will help identify weak areas of information and knowledge and prioritise future research proposals.
• It will facilitate the harmonisation of agricultural policies across and between Member States.

Project deliverables

• Project fact sheets – October 2005
• Report on project workshop 1 – January 2006
• Annual project report – April 2006
• Reports: annual summary of expert-group activity – April 2006; individual and organisation competencies across Europe – April 2006; project workshop 2 – May 2006; project Workshop 3 – January 2007; project workshop 4 – April 2007; annual summary of expert-group activity –
  April 2007
• Final report – April 2007

Dissemination

• Launch website – September 2005
• Newsletter – September 2005; February, May and September 2006; February and April 2007
• Expert workshop reports will be widely circulated and placed on the project website.

Technical information

Project acronym: CEEC AGRI POLICY
Project’s official full title: Agro-Economic Policy Analysis of the New Member States, the Candidate States and the Countries of the Western Balkans
Research priority: 1.1. Modernisation and sustainability of agriculture and forestry, including their multifunctional role in order to ensure the sustainable development and promotion of rural areas
Specific webpage: www.agripolicy.net
Proposal/contract no: 513705
Start date: 1 January 2006
Kick off meeting: January 2006
Completion date: January 2008
European Commission scientific officer: Hans-Jorg Lutzeyer, Hans-Joerg.Lutzeyer@ec.europa.eu

Coordinator:
Olivier Chartier, olivier.chartier@euroquality.fr
Name: Euroquality
Abbreviated name: Euroquality
Address: EUROQUALITY
8 rue de l'Isly
75008 PARIS
Country: France
Tel: +33 1 44 69 99 80
Fax: +33 1 44 69 99 81
Website: www.euroquality.fr 

Partners

Name: Drew Associates
Abbreviated name: Drew
Country: United Kingdom

Name: Centre for Rural Research University of Exeter
Abbreviated name: Exeter
Country: United Kindom

Name: Costas Petrides Associates
Abbreviated name: CPA
Country: Cyprus

Name: Research Institute for Agricultural Economics
Abbreviated name: VIZE
Country: Czech Republic

Name: Estonian Agricultural University
Abbreviated name: EAU
Country: Estonia

Name: Cornivinus University Budapest
Abbreviated name: CUB
Country: Hungary

Name: Latvian State Institute of Agrarian Economics
Abbreviated name: SIAE
Country: Latvia

Name: Lithuanian Institute of Agrarian Economics
Abbreviated name: LAEI
Country: Lithuania

Name: Institute of Agricultural and Food Economy
Abbreviated name: IAFE
Country: Poland

Name: Research Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics
Abbreviated name: RIAFE
Country: Slovakia

Name: Agricultural Institute of Slovenia
Abbreviated name: KIS
Country: Slovenia

Name: University of Plovdiv
Abbreviated name: UoP
Country: Bulgaria

Name: Babes Bolyai University Cluj Napoca
Abbreviated name: UBB
Country: Romania

Name: Cukurova University
Abbreviated name: Cukurova
Country: Turkey

Name: Faculty of Agriculture University of Zagreb
Abbreviated name: FoA-UZ
Country: Croatia

Name: Faculty of Agriculture University of Sarajevo
Abbreviated name: FAS
Country: Bosnia Herzegovina

Name: Institute of Agricultural Economics University of Belgrade
Abbreviated name: IAE
Country: Serbia and Montenegro