Reform of Common Agricultural Policy: Stakeholder Involvement and Governance Structures

The European Commission, in current reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), has attempted to involve a broader group of stakeholders in discussions on the future of the CAP. It is argued that if the CAP is to maintain credibility, it must deliver against a much more complex landscape of production, rural development, environmental, social justice and food consumption outcomes and no longer simply maximizing productivity. To accomplish this, involvement of a broader group of stakeholders is required and current institutional governance structures do not facilitate this. This paper will examine the current structures for stakeholder involvement and experimentation by the European Commission to involve civil society stakeholders in CAP reform. A case study on efforts by public health stakeholders to advocate for a stronger public health dimension in the CAP will be presented to illustrate this.