How can you change the Common Agricultural Policy? This giant EU machine dating back to 1962 overproduces. We need to slow down production and

EUREKA! CAP extreme make-over

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/15406236/J003-0020-EN.srt

The Common Agricultural Policy or CAP,  is one of the oldest EU policies

Its aim was to produce enough food  to feed the whole of Europe.

The CAP is so successful that since the  80s Europe has been overproducing.

It has to modify its methods as  agriculture is the largest cost to the EU.

It's a strain on the EU budget  but what can be done to tackle this?

Europe takes 20 years to make profound  changes to its agricultural system.

In the 90s, the EU is one of the world's  largest exporters of agricultural produce

but that's not enough to exhaust its  stocks, especially of cereals and beef.

It's the agricultural ministers  who decide on common rules.

They discuss and set  the price of farm produce

and lower the cost  of overproduced produce

The EU helps farmers to grow other  crops or leave their land unfarmed.

This results in quantities being reduced.

The EU manages to slow down  the juggernaut that is the CAP

and control production levels but many  medium-sized farms disappear

Farms are fewer but larger  and work more intensively.

The EU faces several crises, such as  Mad Cow Disease and dioxin in chickens.

It also has to adapt  to trading internationally.

In short, Europe still has  to review its practices.

As of 2003, European agriculture  undergoes profound changes.

Reforms are difficult  and farmers fear for their future.

Once again  the EU asks farmers to adapt.

Subsidies are no longer linked  to quantity but to quality.

A whole set of conditions have to be met.

To receive subsidies, farmers  have to respect the environment,

use less polluting  and less harmful pesticides.

Farmers also have to protect  the welfare of animals.

The EU entrusts farmers  with new tasks,

to maintain the diversity  of the countryside and forests,

to develop organic  and less intensive farming

and to conserve the wealth  of local produce.

But farmers have to develop  new ways of making money

as agriculture continues to use up  almost half of the EU budget

and as of 2014, the EU plans to cut  a large chunk of subsidies.

Europeans haven't gone hungry  since the end of WWII.

They can also be assured  of high-quality food.

But EU agriculture ministers  still have work to do.

They have to come  to an agreement by 2013.

The debate on the future  of the CAP is far from over.