Structural changes in agriculture : a critical analysis of Common Agricultural Policy reforms

Abstract

This thesis focuses on the impact of European Union (EU) Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reforms on structural change in the EU agricultural sector. The CAP is still the most integrated of all EU policies and consequently makes up a large share of the EU budget. The main aim of this thesis is to provide an empirical assessment of structural changes in the EU agricultural sector due to the recent agricultural policy reforms. The objective is to gain a deeper understanding of the adjustment processes that take place in agriculture. This requires an identification of causal relationships between exogenous factors, political intervention and farmers' decision making. The strong focus of the thesis is on the development of adequate and innovative quantitative methods and models to support the analysis of structural change due to agricultural policy reforms.