The Common Agricultural Policy post-2013: a Pathway to Regional Cohesion? Lessons Learned in Implementing Agri-Environmental Measures in the Baltic Sea Region

This 2012 report by the Stockholm Environment Institute analyzes the implementation of the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) within the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) during the 2007-2013 period. It examines the challenges of integrating agricultural productivity with environmental boundary conditions, such as nutrient reduction and biodiversity conservation. The report argues that the diversity of farming systems in the BSR should be an asset and recommends that post-2013 CAP reforms shift toward treating environmental services as a core value of farming rather than a precondition for payment, while introducing 'soft measures' to improve transboundary cooperation and stakeholder engagement.

• The Baltic Sea Region (BSR) exhibits extreme diversity in agricultural systems, ranging from high-intensity, large-scale farming in Denmark and Germany to low-intensity, small-scale farming in Estonia and Latvia. This variability makes the development of uniform regional measures difficult.
• Implementation of the CAP during the 2007-2013 period was characterized by an 'uneven playing field' among EU Member States in the BSR. Differences in budget allocations and historical production legacies created disparities in the ability of countries to comply with EU environmental directives.
• There is a systemic lack of coordination between agricultural and environmental sectors, often resulting in 'sectoral silos'. This disconnect, combined with insufficient stakeholder involvement, has led to agri-environmental measures that are poorly targeted and fail to account for local ecological or socio-economic contexts.
• Agri-environmental payments under Pillar 2 are frequently viewed as insufficient compensation for the income lost due to reduced productivity. This is compounded by high administrative transaction costs and a mismatch between financial incentives and market forces.
• National application of the CAP often prioritizes national compliance and targets over regional collective action, which risks undermining territorial cohesion and transboundary collaboration, particularly regarding shared water bodies like the Baltic Sea.
• Monitoring and evaluation of agri-environmental measures are widely considered ineffective and untrustworthy across the BSR. There is a lack of confidence among farmers, NGOs, and civil servants regarding the indicators and calculations used to assess environmental impacts.
• The report recommends a fundamental shift in the operationalization of the CAP, proposing a consolidation of Pillars 1 and 2 where environmental services are treated as a core part of farming's value rather than a precondition for payment.
• To address regional inequities and foster cooperation, the report suggests implementing 'soft measures'—such as stakeholder negotiation platforms and riparian dialogues on nutrient reduction—to complement existing technical measures.

APA

Powell, N., Osbeck, M., Larsen, R. K., Andersson, K., Schwartz, G., & Davis, M. (2012). The Common Agricultural Policy post-2013: a Pathway to Regional Cohesion? Lessons Learned in Implementing Agri-Environmental Measures in the Baltic Sea Region. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/sei-2012-projectreport-cap-reform-baltic-compass.pdf

Chicago

Powell, Neil, Maria Osbeck, Rasmus Kløcker Larsen, Kim Andersson, Gerald Schwartz, and Marion Davis. The Common Agricultural Policy post-2013: a Pathway to Regional Cohesion? Lessons Learned in Implementing Agri-Environmental Measures in the Baltic Sea Region. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2012. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/sei-2012-projectreport-cap-reform-baltic-compass.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Powell |first1=Neil |last2=Osbeck |first2=Maria |last3=Larsen |first3=Rasmus Kløcker |last4=Andersson |first4=Kim |last5=Schwartz |first5=Gerald |last6=Davis |first6=Marion |title=The Common Agricultural Policy post-2013: a Pathway to Regional Cohesion? Lessons Learned in Implementing Agri-Environmental Measures in the Baltic Sea Region |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=2012 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/sei-2012-projectreport-cap-reform-baltic-compass.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{powell2012common, author = {Powell, Neil and Osbeck, Maria and Larsen, Rasmus Kløcker and Andersson, Kim and Schwartz, Gerald and Davis, Marion}, title = {{The Common Agricultural Policy post-2013: a Pathway to Regional Cohesion? Lessons Learned in Implementing Agri-Environmental Measures in the Baltic Sea Region}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2012}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/sei-2012-projectreport-cap-reform-baltic-compass.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }