AER seminar "The EU Common Agricultural Policy & non-EU member regions"

How does the current EU agricultural policy affects non-EU member European countries and regions?

EFTA members such as Norway or Switzerland and candidates or potential candidates, such as Croatia or Bosnia-Herzegovina share the fact of being directly influenced by a policy that is not designed for them.

How do these regions voice their interests and how can they influence EU policymaking? How can candidates or potential candidates best orient their agricultural and rural development policies with views to future enlargements of the EU?

Outcomes of the meeting:

• Better knowledge of the main issues at stake in third countries regarding current and future CAP

• Identification of key messages to be delivered at EU level regarding threats and opportunities of CAP for EU candidate (or candidate-to-be) regions; In this specific context the conclusions of the seminar constituted the basis for the AER answer to the consultation launched by DG Enlargement, together with DG Regional Development, Employment and Agriculture on the successor of the Instrument for Pre–accession Assistance (IPA) post 2013
• Identification of key messages to be delivered at EU level regarding threats and opportunities of CAP for EFTA regions

The seminar was also an occasion for participants to enhance their networking opportunities and start new cooperation ideas.

Link to the AER webpage on agriculture and rural development.