Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)

DEFINITION: An EU policy which aims to provide financial support to the farmers in member states. The policy seeks to ensure a decent standard of living for farmers, the availability of supplies and reasonable prices for consumers. Most of the money paid to farmers comes from the EU budget, paid for by contributions from member states, including the UK. the CAP has been criticised for encouraging farming practices that damage the environment, and for benefiting large landowners just for owning more land.

The current Government has said it will continue to make payments to UK farmers on the same basis as now until 2020, a year after the UK is set to leave the EU. In the June 2017 Queen’s Speech, the Government announced an ‘Agriculture Bill’. This will aim to ensure that there is an effective system in place to support UK farmers and to protect the natural environment post-Brexit. 

See also: Common Fisheries Policy (CFP)

Back to the Jargon Buster

Suggest a definition

Do you have a definition that you would like to add to the Jargon Buster? Let us know!