World commodity prices increased in 1996 on aggregate by 7 percent. However, taking yearly averages, this was the result of heterogeneous developments: increasing oil prices, which have a dominant weight, and falling prices for industrial raw materials and food and beverages. Forecasts for 1997...

Apart from demand and supply conditions, todays EC trade in agricultural products is determined not only by classical trade policy instruments, e.g. customs or quotas, but in addition by numerous internal instruments influencing consumption, production and storage. The protective character...

Analysing the development of food and agricultural raw material markets during the past twenty years, two phases could be distinguished. Following a long period with production surpluses, comprehensive stocks and stable prices, in the seventies the situation changed dramatically. During 1973 and...

When the CAP was established back in 1958, it was a powerful means for the economic or - even more ambitious - for the political integration of the European Community. In more recent years, however, it has been identified by a growing number of people as both the origin of mismanaged...

The paper discusses the decisions on the reform of the CAP from June 2003. The decisions focus on the decoupling of the direct payments to farmers from production. This will reduce production incentives and thereby improve the allocation of resources. However, payments to farmers will hardly be...

The paper discusses the decisions on the CAP in the context of the Berlin summit. In a rather broad perspective the agricultural sectoral and related objectives are analyzed for their consistency and compatability with higher ranking societal objectives. The policiesÂ’ allocational and...