Agenda 2000
The Agenda 2000 was a comprehensive action and reform program of the European Union to strengthen the Community's policy with regard to EU enlargement . Agenda 2000 was adopted by the European Council of Heads of State and Government from March 24th to 26th, 1999 at the EU special summit in Berlin in the form of around twenty legal texts. The first conceptual basis under this name was drawn up by the European Commission on July 16, 1997 and supplemented by detailed legislative drafts on March 17, 1998.
Agricultural policy reform
background
The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) was included in the Treaties when the European Economic Community (EEC) was founded in 1957. The aim was to ensure the supply of the population with food and to prevent periods of hunger that existed during and after the two world wars .
In order to increase production, the following measures, among others, were decided:
- The prices for the agricultural products were guaranteed by the EC. Products that could not be sold for the guaranteed price ( intervention price ) were bought up by government agencies.
- The EC guaranteed the acceptance of all manufactured agricultural products ( acceptance guarantee ).
- Since the world market prices were lower, the food was subject to import duties that offset the difference. In addition, an upper limit for the introduction of agricultural products has been introduced.
Since the mid-1980s, this system led to the overproduction of food, as the market economy mechanisms were suspended: the more a farmer produced, the more money he earned. In addition, technical progress led to a further increase in yields. The surpluses were either heavily subsidized, sold on the world market, destroyed or stored. With the eastward expansion, new states have also been added that are heavily agricultural. This made reform inevitable.
As a result, the costs of the common agricultural policy again amounted to around 50 percent of the EU budget.
reform
The support prices for beef should be reduced by around 30%, for cereals by 20% and milk by 15%. The prices had to be decoupled by January 1, 2007 at the latest, but the member states were free to begin in 2005. The loss of income should be (at least partially) compensated by direct payments that are independent of the quantity produced.
In addition, environmental objectives in agriculture should be given greater consideration. The agenda sees the task of the farmers mainly in the maintenance of the landscape, only as a secondary goal is the production of food mentioned. If farmers violate applicable animal, environmental or occupational health and safety requirements, they can expect reductions of up to a quarter of the premiums. Rural regions should receive more support in the future.
By taking measures to lower prices and promote high quality, the European Union hopes to prevent food scandals such as BSE and foot and mouth disease and reduce overproduction. Farmers should gear their production more to the needs of the market than before.
Regional policy reform
Agenda 2000 also resolved a reform of regional policy , although this was much less far-reaching than the reform of agricultural policy. The main aim of the reform was to make better use of the funds.
Regional policy has the task of adapting living conditions within the Union.
Budget
In order to prevent a cost explosion after the eastward expansion , the payments in the period between the year 2000 and the year 2006 were limited to 213 billion euros. The Structural Funds account for 195 billion euros and the Cohesion Funds for 18 billion euros . As President-in-Office of the Council, Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schröder was unable to significantly reduce German net payments to the EU as part of a strict austerity program, as previously called for on several occasions.