Changes in the CAP 2014-2020 vs. modernisation of the Polish agriculture and rural areas

In recent years transformation in the Polish agriculture and rural areas has been strongly associated with the CAP. Despite intensive changes, the modernisation still requires huge investments. This paper presents a preliminary assessment of the EC’s proposals for CAP in the period 2014-2020. Based on the comparison with the current CAP the key changes proposed are presented. They are then assessed in the perspective of the modernisation and developmental needs of the Polish agriculture and rural areas. The preliminary assessment of the EC’s proposals shows that they are not optimal for Poland. Although the changes in the CAP are not revolutionary, they can lead to significant shift of the support among different groups of beneficiaries creating losers and winners. The already gained experience with the implementation of the CAP in Poland, shows that the support must precisely fit to the individual needs of specific groups of beneficiaries if it is to be effective and efficient.