Both WTO and the EU use a “Rule of additional costs†(RAC) to restrict payments for ecological services in agriculture in order to prevent trade distortions. We assess this rule in the light of modern economic theory. It is shown that the RAC is efficient, if conventional agriculture...

The main objective of this report is to assess the GHG emission reduction potential of a selected number of policy options and to quantify related production and economic impacts for the agricultural sector in the EU. Therefore the possible future evolution of agricultural GHG emissions in the...

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the competitive performance of the EU countries for food trade in the European market during the period 1990-2003. To assess such performance the analysis considers comparative advantage and evaluates three indices: export market share (EMS), revealed...

Prior to the EU accession Polish agricultural sector was experiencing serious structural problems. Not surprisingly Polish agricultural negotiations with EU were the toughest. Polish officials wanted to convince domestic rural electorate that the farms will operate on the competitive basis in...

In the European Union member states (EU), it is necessary to evaluate hygienic condition of milk in order to determine milk price. Similar requirement was set by the Republic of Croatia in 2000. The Rulebook defines minimal quality criteria that fresh raw milk must have in order to be purchased....

The paper aims to improve our knowledge about the impact of a new instrument of the rural development policy on the behaviour of farms and food-processing enterprises in the Lodz region in Poland. It seeks to explore the characteristic features of the agricultural holdings and their owners as...

Now days in the pig industry as well as in other agro food sectors is the competitiveness that declare the success or failure on the global market. In the case of the pig industry, to be competitive it means to be able to offer a product of higher quality than rivals, but at similar price. The...

This paper examines the relationship between structural changes and EU agricultural policies and their implications in the context of the enlarged EU. The paper examines the impact of EU policies on the restructuring and competitiveness of farms in the new member states taking into account...

Based on the Policy Analysis Matrix (PAM) approach this paper provides an assessment of the competitive position of the Hungarian agro-food industry in view of EU integration. The situation in the food processing sector is assessed with the use of actual cost data from representative Hungarian...

The paper deals with the key issues of contemporary food system development and their economic content related to the position of agricultural enterprises. It explains, that the problem faced by the whole Europe and thus also by the Czech Republic, i.e. how to compete successfully on an...