Éléments de définition d'une politique agricole commune pour le XXIe siècle

This paper proposes some changes to the Common Agricultural Policy from a long term perspective. Proposed changes are aimed at better establishing the double role of farmers : food producers on a world competitive basis on the one hand and stewards of the environment and the country side on the other hand. One shows that some general principles for public regulation and policy instrumentation in the euro- pean agricultural sector can be defined : a maximal decoupling of income support policies through direct aids which should be as neutral as possible with respect to farmers' production decisions and a maximal coupling of policies directed to reward farmers for the provision of positive externalities through direct aids tunely targeted and based on primary factors.