Three decades of policy layering and politically sustainable reform in the European Union’s Agricultural Policy

Daugbjerg, C. and Swinbank, A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2526-2026 (2016) Three decades of policy layering and politically sustainable reform in the European Union’s Agricultural Policy. Governance, 29 (2). pp. 265-280. ISSN 1468-0491 doi: 10.1111/gove.12171

Abstract/Summary

The study of policy reform has tended to focus on single-stage reforms taking place over a relatively short period. Recent research has drawn attention to gradual policy changes unfolding over extended periods. One strategy of gradual change is layering, in which new policy dimensions are introduced by adding new policy instruments or by redesigning existing ones to address new concerns. The limited research on single-stage policy reforms highlights that these may not endure in the postenactment phase when circumstances change. We argue that gradual policy layering may create sustainability dynamics that can result in lasting reform trajectories. The European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has changed substantially over the last three decades in response to emerging policy concerns by adding new layers. This succession of reforms proved durable and resilient to reversal in the lead-up to the 2013 CAP reform when institutional and political circumstances changed.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/43321
Identification Number/DOI	10.1111/gove.12171
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Life Sciences > School of Agriculture, Policy and Development > Department of Agri-Food Economics & Marketing
Publisher	Wiley
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