This book examines the major rural developments and the issues that policy makers have been dealing with across the OECD over the last two decades. The OECD Conference, held in Siena, Italy, in July 2002, on the Future of Rural Policy, identified the need for rural policies to look beyond...

Agricultural policies are dominated by broad measures such as market price support and general payments to all land, animals or farmers. As a result, it is often difficult to associate a particular policy with any specific objective. Recognising the challenge facing policy makers who wish to...

This publication looks at the importance of the EU sugar industry in the global sugar market. It analyses how sugar reforms adopted by the EU council in 2006 have led to market changes. The first part of this report looks at what might happen if complete policy reform and full trade...

This report attempts to guide policy-makers to the best possible decisions taking account of the multifunctional character of agriculture. Policy-makers and analysts are supplied with a series of detailed questions which will help determine whether government intervention is required and, if so,...

This report provides an overview of the main characteristics and structure of the current Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and its developments in the last 25 years in a changing environment within and outside the EU. Drawing on material presented at the OECD Workshop on the Disaggregated...

Agricultural policy describes the laws, instruments and measures related to the domestic farm sector and trade in agricultural products. Agricultural policies encompass a wide range of issues, including providing sufficient food at reasonable prices for consumers, securing food safety and...

This report provides an overview of the main characteristics and structure of the current Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and its developments in the last 25 years in a changing environment within and outside the EU.Drawing on material presented at the OECD Workshop on the Disaggregated Impacts...

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is an important policy for the European Union and accounts for about 40% of the EU budget. Ever since its inception in 1958, the CAP has been regularly reviewed and adjusted to improve its performance and adapt to changing circumstances. At a time when the...

When immigrants arrive in a new country, they are confronted with new labour market requirements such as language proficiency, familiarity with job search procedures and work practices which they are not always able to satisfy. These obstacles affect not only new immigrants, but, surprisingly,...

Recent reforms have put Germany among the OECD countries with the fewest restrictions on labour migration for highly-skilled occupations, yet inflows continue to be relatively low. As labour migration is supposed to be one means to help meet future labour and skill shortages caused by a...