Was the CAP reform a success? [La réforme de la PAC a-t-elle été un succès ?]

The 2013 CAP reform has been a long process involving many more actors, the European Parliament in particular, than in the previous reform undertakings. The early stages of the journey envisaged rather bold changes in response to the well identified failures of the CAP as pointed out by many stakeholders, analysts and think tanks. The distribution of direct payments and the impact of agriculture on the environment were prominent issues. This chapter takes stock of the actual outcome of the political process after the Council and the Parliament amended the Commission proposals in which ambitions for change had already been curtailed by the influence of farmer organisations and national administrations.