Europe: 50 years of Common Agricultural Policy

The German minister of Agriculture Ilse Aigner and EU-agriculture commissioner Dacian Ciolos celebrated the 50th anniversary of the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) with a ceremony at the Internationale Grüne Woche in Berlin."The CAP has been an important major pillar of united Europe for 50 years. It's a European success model and has contributed greatly to Europe prospering together", says Aigner. The agricultural policy is now the only political area which is governed only by Europe. "Agriculture is the force behind the European unification. If we form the agricultural politics within the EU together, it's not just about the future of agriculture, it's also about the future of all the people in Europe", according to Aigner.

The first steps towards a Common Agricultural policy in the European Union were made on January 14th 1962. After WWII the goal was to prevent hunger in Europe. Even today the CAP ensures that the population is provided with high quality, safe and affordable food.

"The ongoing negotiations about the CAP after 2013 are a chance to further develop the agricultural sector in Europe. For the good of the agrarians as well as the users", says Aigner. "We need preconditions now, for a sustainable and good management of the agricultural area, in which the globalisation and climate changes are accounted for. Our base is a sustainable agricultural and food economy, which will be a base for future generation: an ecologically affluent, socially dependable economy where resources are used carefully."