More reform ahead

Despite significant reform in recent years, more will be needed after the current funding package expires in 2013.
Challenges include the need to double world food production by 2050 to cater for population growth and wealthier consumers eating more meat – in the face of climate change impacts (loss of biodiversity, deteriorating soil and water quality).
When consulted about their views on such reforms in 2010, Europeans said they wanted EU farm policy to help farmers not just to produce food, but also to preserve natural resources and landscapes, improve animal welfare and keep rural communities viable, for example.
In response, the EU has published a set of reform proposals that reflect these demands, with an emphasis on sustainable farming practices, innovation, research and the spread of knowledge – as well as a fairer support system for European farmers that puts them in a position to meet the challenges of tomorrow.

Why farm support is expensive

EU farm policy is the most integrated of all EU policies and so takes a large share of the EU budget. But this is largely money your government would be spending on farming anyway – it is just managed by the EU rather than national governments.
Nevertheless, farm spending has dropped sharply in recent years as a share of the EU budget, from a peak of nearly 70% in the 1970s to just 34% in 2007-13.
This reflects both an expansion of the EU's other responsibilities and cost savings from reforms – reforms that have enabled the EU to welcome 12 new member countries since 2004 without any increase in farm spending.