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

The report analyzes the challenges of implementing agri-environmental measures under the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) within the Baltic Sea Region (BSR). It finds that a lack of coordination between agricultural and environmental sectors, insufficient stakeholder involvement, and an 'uneven playing field' in funding and entitlements have hindered the achievement of environmental boundary conditions. The authors argue that the CAP's national focus often undermines transboundary cooperation and regional cohesion. To address this, they recommend consolidating CAP Pillars 1 and 2 to treat environmental services as a core value of farming and introducing 'soft measures' to support stakeholder dialogue and regional nutrient reduction targets.

• The implementation of the CAP in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) is characterized by an 'uneven playing field' where Member States face similar challenges but possess different resources and entitlements to comply with EU environmental directives.
• There is a systemic lack of coordination between the agricultural and environmental sectors across the BSR, which is further complicated by insufficient data, data-sharing issues in transboundary catchments, and disagreements over scientific models used for target-setting.
• Agri-environmental measures under Pillar 2 often fail to achieve expected impacts because they are poorly targeted and based on expert models rather than participatory processes involving stakeholders.
• Financial incentives for agri-environmental measures are frequently insufficient to compensate farmers for income lost due to reduced productivity, and high administrative hurdles further diminish the perceived value of these payments.
• The distribution of CAP payments often favors large-scale farming systems over small holdings, creating regional tensions, such as the north-south divide in Sweden.
• The principle of national subsidiarity in the design of Rural Development Programmes often leads countries to prioritize national targets over transboundary collaboration, potentially undermining regional cohesion.
• Agricultural systems in the BSR are highly diverse; for example, Denmark and Germany exhibit high intensity and large farm sizes, while Estonia and Latvia are characterized by low intensity and a higher share of small farms.
• The report recommends a consolidation of CAP Pillars 1 and 2 to redefine environmental services not as a precondition for payment, but as a core part of the value of farming alongside food security and rural development.
• To foster regional cohesion, the authors suggest implementing 'soft measures,' such as supporting dialogue between riparian countries to establish joint nutrient reduction targets for the Baltic Sea.

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} }