‘greening’ the cap

‘Greening’ the CAP

Brian FullerSarah Hauser

Daria KuznetsovaLuis Suarez-Isaza

Joe Wales

I. Our PitchII. Proposed Changes to CAPIII. Two-Part strategy

i. Public Mobilizationii. Member State Negotiations in European

Parliament and Council of Ministers

IV. Recommendations

AGENDAAGENDA

PROPOSITIONPROPOSITION

NEW DESIGN OF CAPNEW DESIGN OF CAP

PUBLIC MOBILISATIONPUBLIC MOBILISATION

The CAP has been historically difficult to change:

1) Limited counter lobbying• Collective action problems amongst taxpayers• Lack of common interests amongst lobby groups• No unifying political entrepreneur

2) Lack of awareness of the European public• 53% have never heard of the CAP• 24% accurately listed the CAP as one of the four largest

items of EU Budget spending

STRATEGY FOR PUBLIC MOBILISATIONSTRATEGY FOR PUBLIC MOBILISATION

1) European Citizens’ Initiative2) Oxfam as “spearhead organization” to act as

agenda setter3) Mobilization of other lobbying bodies such as:

– Environment NGOs– Non-agricultural business groups– Urban trade unions– Other Development organisations

WHY WILL IT WORK?WHY WILL IT WORK?

ECI Details

• 1 million signatures from at least a third of member states (nine)

• Once registered, the commission gives decisions on whether it is going to propose the legislation within four months

• Organisers of an initiative have to prove they are not lobbyists

• Safeguards built into the process• EU Commission hopes to have it up and running by

December

European Citizens’ InitiativeEuropean Citizens’ Initiative

STRATEGY FOR EUROPEAN NEGOTIATIONS

STRATEGY FOR EUROPEAN NEGOTIATIONS

INCENTIVESINCENTIVES• Crowded Budgetary Needs

• Unsustainable Pillar I Expansion– New Member Nations Expect Parity

• Accountability to mobilized domestic constituencies – Lobbies

– Public Opinion

– Dispel the “Democratic Deficit”

• Growing Preference for Rural Development

• Pillar II funds can be used for alternative energy • Green energy investment

– Creation of jobs in green business operations– Support for CAP reform from manufacturing lobby– Development of rural areas

• EU target of generating 20% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020.

• Energy Security– Lower prices– Energy Independence from Russia

GREEN ENERGY DEVELOPMENTGREEN ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

Building a QMV majority

Building a QMV majority

Building a QMV majority

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTEUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

• Similar motivations and reservations• Features of Parliament which are particularly

conducive to CAP reform:– Populist leanings of MEPs– EP’s Absolute Majority requires 376 of 761 votes

proportionally fewer than any minimum coalition satisfying the QMV-majority

Key ActorsKey ActorsDenmarkHenrikHøegh, Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries • Most absolute anti-CAP stances• Presidency from Jan 2012

GermanyIlseAigner, Minister for Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection• Strong bargaining position• Shift Pillar I to II, vague on absolute funding• Benefit from Green Tech Investment

United Kingdom Caroline Spelman, Secretary of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs• Rebate Renewal vs CAP restructuring

RECOMMENDATIONSRECOMMENDATIONS

1. Monitor European Citizens Initiative developments

2. Begin public mobilisation strategy in advance of the ECI

3. Encourage the UK or another country to take a leading role in negotiating for the proposed reform

4. Incentivise and protect the core coalition actors

Questions?

ReferencesReferences

• Eurobarometer Report Europeans, Agriculture and the Common Agricultural Policy (2008), p4.

• Eurobarometer70 Public Opinion in the European Union (2008), p68• European Trade Union Confederation Position of the ETUC on the 6th WTO Ministerial Conference (2005), section 1, a-d.• BusinessEuropeGo For Growth: An Agenda for the European Union in 2010-2014 (2010), p14 & p16• Taxpayer’s Alliance Research Note 46- The Great European Rip-Off (2009), p4.• Which? (Formerly UK Consumers Association) Hungry for Change? Which? Healthier Choice Progress Report (2009), p26.• Various examples, see particularly Oxfam The Time is Now: How world leaders should respond to the food price crisis (2008), p7-8. Also for the USA Oxfam Square pegs in Round holes: How the Farm Bill squanders chances for a pro-

development trade deal (2008).

• Eurobarometer 70 (2008) (p68) asked those surveyed to list their 4 priority areas for EU Budget spending. Aggregating across the EU Agriculture and Rural Development came ninth with only 14% of Europeans allocating one of their 4 preferences to it. This compares with Climate Change & Environmental Protection (5th with 23%) and Energy Issues (6th with 22%).

• Jambor and Harvey 2010 CAP Reform Options: A Challenge for Analysis & Synthesis• Majority Calculator for Council Decisions, German Federal Ministry of Economics and TechnologyLandgrebe et al 2009 German

Perspectives on the Current CAP Reform• Defra and HM Treasury, A Vision for the Common Agricultural Policy, December 2005• • Council for the Rural Area, Implementation and Vision of Common Agricultural Policy,Fact Sheet - Italy• Eurobarometer 70 – National Report Italy (2008) p5• Eurobarometer 262 (2007) Special Energy Policy survey EU-25• Birdlife International (2008) Debating the Future of the Common Agricultural Policy, Country Profiles• Euractiv.comCall for EU budget reform to match green priorities