The European Union's common agricultural policy is without question the most economically significant policy area in EU law, as well as the area in which Union regulation has been implemented most consistently and intensely. This book contends that today, considering this comprehensive regulation of issues that are of prime economic importance - and the rich case law that this EU policy has generated - EU agricultural law cannot be treated as an isolated discipline, but must be seen in the context of general Union law. The author first deeply explores in an unprecedented way what is meant by the expressions 'agriculture', 'agricultural activity', and 'agricultural producer' found in current EU legislation, and goes on to provide a detailed legal analysis in contexts from Member States to the World Trade Organization. In the course of the presentation he examines the following, among much else: the principle of unified markets or common prices; structural funds for promoting regional agricultural development; encouragement of local strategies based on partnership and experience-sharing networks; environmentally friendly agricultural measures; the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD); whether a person or undertaking produces agricultural products or processes them; food safety measures; animal welfare; agricultural training and research; ensuring a fair standard of living for the agricultural community; interventions concerning storage or production limitation; State aid schemes; marketing standards; geographical indications; trade with third countries; support for improving the environment and the countryside; payment of aid pursuant to the single payment scheme; and WTO rules on domestic support measures, import duties and restrictions, and exports. As a full-length, in-depth analysis of EU agricultural law, this book has no peers. It is sure to be welcomed not only by legal academics, but by all who are professionally engaged in dealing with issues of Union agricultural law, whether lawyers, professional interest groups, or administrative authorities.

Following an introductory discussion of the Treaty provisions on agriculture, this illuminating work examines the four regulations that currently govern the Common Agricultural Policy in the areas of Direct Payments, Rural Development, Finance, and the Common Organisation of the markets and considers their interpretation by the European Courts. It concludes with an astute assessment of the proposals for further reform, which will give Member States greater discretion in fine-tuning the principles of the policy established at European level to the particular characteristics of their agricultural sector.

This book offers a new and differentiated overview of Agri-Food Law against the background of national and global integration of markets, and compares for the first time important aspects of the agricultural, environmental and food law of China and Germany / the European Union. In addition to the basics, it discusses a wide range of issues, such as the respective legal regulatory structures for food security, food safety, geographical indications of origin, climate protection, fertilizers, plant protection products, genetic engineering, water protection, soil protection, land resources and organic farming. In addition, it addresses key environmental impacts and developments in order to create integrated value chains. The increasing fusion of upstream and downstream areas is becoming apparent from primary production, to the refinement and trade up level, and even to consumption. Agri-Food Law is now productively taking these important developments into account with regard to the aforementioned countries.

Agricultural goods formed the first single market in the EC, and agricultural legislation forms the background to much of the European Court's case-law on the relationship between EC law and national law, and it is also within this context that the Court has developed (and is developing) many of the general principles of EC law.

The Oxford Handbook of the European Union brings together numerous acknowledged specialists in their field to provide a comprehensive and clear assessment of the nature, evolution, workings, and impact of European integration.

European Monographs Series, Volume 9 This second and much-revised edition of the pre-eminent work on European Union (EU) agricultural law emphasises the sweeping changes that have led to the gradual expansion of the common agricultural policy to encompass the food chain as a whole. Although the new edition’s purpose and methodology remain the same, the author presents a completely new overview of the field as it now exists, including the effects of the latest reform measures up to 2021 and their implications for the future. Imparting in-depth awareness of the multifunctional character of agriculture today – its importance for environmental protection, preservation of biodiversity, public health, mitigation of climate change, and rural development, as well as its international obligations – the book provides matchless insight and clarifications on such critical legal details as the following: analysis of the Green Deal, the Farm to Fork Strategy, and the Biodiversity Strategy for 2030; extensive treatment of the TFEU provisions on agriculture and the impact of international legal instruments; clear and easily accessible treatment of the legislation on market and price policy, competition, and the agri-food chain; thorough analysis of administrative law aspects, in particular, the rights and obligations of operators in the framework of numerous subsidy arrangements and related topics such as sanctions and force majeure; and in-depth treatment of the importance of the general principles of EU law for legal protection. Given that about one-third of the EU’s budget is spent on agriculture – and that European legislation on agriculture is voluminous and complicated and case law is abundant – this well-organised and lucid exposition will be of immeasurable value to any practitioner asked to deal with a case involving agriculture anywhere in the EU. Academics aware of the growing intricacy of the field will welcome the author’s reflections on the meaning and significance of EU agricultural law.

This book offers a comprehensive analysis of the Common Agricultural Policy which imposes high costs on taxpayers and consumers yet has proved very difficult to reform. Particular emphasis is placed on new developments affecting the shape of the CAP, including the outcome of the GATT Uruguay Round negotiations, Eastern enlargement, and developments in environmental policy. A distinctive feature of the book is the attention given to situating European agriculture within its global context and in relation to the food processing and agricultural supply industries.

Research Handbook on Climate Change and Agricultural Law

The sharp fluctuations in food price inflation at a time of great uncertainty about the economic outlook have raised questions about the functioning of the European food supply chain. While the observed changes in food prices in EU Member States can be linked to developments in the global demand and supply for agricultural commodities, inefficiencies in the functioning of the food supply chain, in terms of competition and regulation, may have played an important role as well. In particular, an analysis of the transmission mechanisms linking agricultural commodity prices with producer and consumer prices shows that the shock caused by the upsurge in agricultural commodities and energy prices in the second half of 2007 and the first half of 2008 was absorbed differently across EU Member States. Crosscountry differences in the regulatory framework appear to have contributed to this fragmentation of the European Single Market. Moreover, there are indications of differences in the conditions of competition across Member States. Finally, consolidation is taking place throughout the food supply chain. While such consolidation can lead to efficiency gains, it may also worsen the conditions of competition to the detriment of consumers and businesses. Keywords: Food, regulation, market structure, competition, pricing. -- (provided by publisher).

Agriculture, forestry and fi shery statistics provides a selection of recent, topical data. Information is presented for the European Union (EU) and its Member States, and is supplemented (when available) with data for the United Kingdom, EFTA members, candidate countries to the EU and potential candidates. This publication aims to cover some of the most popular data within the domain of agriculture, forestry and fi shery statistics as well as some of the wider food chain. It may be viewed as an introduction to European statistics in this area and provides a starting point for those who wish to explore the broad range of data that are freely available on Eurostat's website.