Conformation and market effects of corporate cereal farms in Hungary

Functions and existence of agricultural corporate farms have concerned agricultural economists for a long time. It is worth examining in a given market how these forms of companies evolve, work, what effects they have on supply chain, land market or natural environment, etc. Importance of the topic is also underpinned by western experts arguing that a totally different pattern of agricultural structure developed in former socialist states (superlarge farms) than in West-Europe (family farms). The aim of this paper is to present how superlarge companies affect their environment in the Hungarian cereal market, which is one of the leading sectors of the national agriculture. Moreover, growing cereals are suitable for large scale companies, especially in Hungary, where 84% of the total agricultural land was arable land in 2005.Agribusiness,

Impacts of EU Accession on Hungarian Primary and Processed Agricultural Trade

In 2004, Hungary joined the European Union (EU) along with nine other Central and Eastern European Countries, causing several changes in the field of agriculture. One of the major changes was the transformation of national agri-food trade. The aim of the paper is to analyse the effects of EU accession on the Hungarian primary and processed agri-food trade, especially considering revealed comparative advantages, by using recent data. Results suggest that EU accession raised the intensity of trade contacts but had a negative impact on trade balance. Nominal values of both exports and imports increased after 2004, however, Hungarian agriculture is increasingly based on raw material export and processed food import. It also turned out that revealed comparative advantages of Hungarian primary agri-food products in EU15 remained almost constant after accession, while comparative advantages of processed agri-food products has been gradually increasing by time and even reached the satisfactory level in some cases. From the policy perspective, it is apparent that there is a need for deeper structural reforms of the Hungarian agricultural and food sector is the future.EU accession, agri-food trade, primary and processed products, Agribusiness, Q17, Q18,

The Role of Rural Development in the CAP Post 2013

Agricultural and Food Policy, Community/Rural/Urban Development,

The competitiveness of fruit spirits of New Member States in terms of protected denomination of origin

Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

CAP Reform Options: A Challenge for Analysis and Synthesis

The European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy is continually evolving. The growing debate about the future of the EU Budget post 2013 raises major questions about the future of the CAP. A formal Communication on the future of the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) after 2013 is due to be published by the Commission in the summer/early autumn of this year – in order to launch a full public debate on the issues, and as a part of the Budget Review of 2011. Formal legislative proposals on the post-2013 CAP will then follow in mid-2011 – together with Commission proposals for the post-2013 Financial Perspectives.  It is, therefore, appropriate to review the discussions of further reforms, and also to consider our professional capacity to provide robust analysis of potential futures. The debate on the future CAP is of more than an agricultural interest as it affects, inter alia, the environment, climate change, food quality and security and rural communities and their development. Numerous views have already been expressed on the future of the CAP. However there is very limited synthesis of the options and principles underlying their evolutionary fitness – that is, the extent to which suggestions correspond to the socio-economic environment and political climate upon which the future persistence of the CAP depends. This paper synthesises present views on the future of CAP, and outlines a possible conceptual framework for future research and analyses in the field.Agricultural and Food Policy,

What role for public goods in the future of CAP?

The European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy continues to evolve. The public debate about its future post 2013 was launched in April 2010 and a formal Commission Communication on the future of the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) was published in November 2010 (European Commission, 2010). The Commission’s detailed legislative proposals are now expected in October 2011. We focus here on one of the most important parts of the debate – public goods and the ‘greening of the CAP’. A major rationale for the large sums spent under the CAP each year appears now to be centred on the provision of public goods. We review the Commission’s proposals for the provision of public goods and raise questions about the apparent justification for the general approach. We question whether this logic properly appreciates the nature of public good problems and whether the apparently obvious solution – provision of compensatory payments from the public purse – actually solves any of the underlying public good problemsPublic Economics,

VÃLTOZÃSOK ELÅTT AZ UNIÓS GABONAPIAC

A gabonaágazat az uniós agrárrendszer meghatározó tényezÅ‘je a KAP meg-alakulásától kezdve. A több évtizede fennálló támogatási politika azonban ma-napság a WTO tárgyalások és a belsÅ‘ problémák miatt megdÅ‘lni látszik, válto-zásra kényszerítve az ágazati szereplÅ‘ket. A legújabb reformtervek középpont-jában az exporttámogatások megszüntetésének gondolata áll, amelynek hatásai hosszú távon jelentkeznek. A cikk célja, hogy bemutassa, milyen döntési lehetÅ‘-ségei vannak egy ilyen tervezet kapcsán az Európai Uniónak és azok milyen kö-vetkezményekkel járhatnak. A tanulmány alapján az Európai Unió számára a gabonapiacon elméletileg három fÅ‘ döntési lehetÅ‘ség kínálkozik, ezek közül a cikk végkövetkeztetése szerint azonban csak egyetlen út a fokozatos haladás poli-tikája járható! Nem kérdéses, hogy minden változtatás hosszú idÅ‘vel és nem kis áldozatokkal jár. A megfelelÅ‘ lépés azonban nemcsak az EU-15-öknek, hanem az újonnan csatlakozott országoknak is elÅ‘nyös megoldást jelentene, mivel azok versenyképességi és piacra lépési esélyeit is javítaná. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX The cereal section of the EU agricultural system is a decisive factor ever since the conception of CAP. The present support policy of several decades standing seems to be tottering in these days due to WTO negotiations and internal problems, enforcing changes upon the section participants. In the centre of latest reform plans is the abolition of ex-port subsidies, whose effects would only be felt long term. In this article we aim to describe the possible policy decisions available to the EU with respect to such plans and their consequences. According to our study theoretically the EU has three options in decision making with respect to the cereal market, but only one of these, the policy of gradual change over is feasible. Undoubtedly all changes take a long time to accomplish at not insignificant costs. An appropriate decision may help not only the original 15 members of EU but also the newly joined members as it would help to improve competitiveness and the chances of entry onto the market place.EU-gabonapiac, WTO-tárgyalások, exporttámogatások, intervenció, EU cereal market, WTO negotiation, export support, intervention, Agribusiness, Crop Production/Industries, International Relations/Trade,

Economic Growth and Sustainable Development: Evidence from Central and Eastern Europe

There has been a large amount of literature dedicated to the determinants of economic growth recently. However, the majority of the literature so far has been concentrating on single factors and countries as examples. This research considers the effects of carbon dioxide emissions, tourism arrivals, foreign direct investments, trade and domestic support on economic growth in Central and Eastern Europe. The paper uses panel data econometrics between 1995 and 2014 to perform its calculations. Results suggest a positive relationship between tourism arrivals, foreign direct investment, trade, domestic support and economic growth, while CO2 emissions were found to be negatively related to economic growth in the region. Policy and decision makers in the region might find our results useful when thinking about drivers of economic growth. Keywords: Tourism demand, foreign direct investment, carbon dioxide emissions, economic growth, panel data. JEL Classifications: O13, F64, Z32

The impacts of EU accession on the agriculture of the Visegrad Countries

The Visegrad Countries (VC)2 joined the European Union in 2004, which has offered several possibilities and challenges for their agriculture. The aim of the paper is to evaluate the status of the sector in the light of latest available data as well as to identify the factors lying behind different country performances. Results suggest that EU accession has had a diverse impact on the Visegrad Countries’ agriculture and member states capitalised their possibilities in a different manner, due to initial conditions and pre- and post-accession policies

Comparative Advantages and Specialisation of the Visegrad Countries Agri-Food Trade

The paper provides descriptive analyses of the EU New Member States agriculture over the period from 2000 to 2011. In 2004 and 2007, twelve New Member States (NMS) joined the European Union, which has offered several possibilities and challenges to the newcomers. The aim of the paper is to discuss development of agriculture in the EU New Member States. We evaluate the status of this sector as well as identify factors lying behind the NMS performances. The EU accession has had an overall positive impact on the NMS agriculture, although the NMS capitalised their possibilities in a different manner, due to initial conditions and pre- and post-accession policies