A key aspect in the debates over the future of the European Union (EU)’s Common Agricultural Policy is the consideration of public goods which are delivered to society – often “for free” – by the agricultural sector. Over a long period of time, German and European farmers have had to adhere to a number of EU environmental standards and other regulations such as the Water Framework and Nitrates Directive. While environmental costs caused by the agricultural sector are often heavily discussed, the efforts and expenses already incurred for environmental protection and other societal benefits by the agricultural sector are often neglected.

The costs associated with the environmental standards imposed by the EU have now been analysed in a study commissioned by the German Farmers’ Association (DBV – Deutscher Bauernverband). The authors of the study, Prof Helmut Karl (University of Bochum) and Dr. Steffen Noleppa (HFFA Research), present a comprehensive analysis of the additional costs for German agriculture, which are incurred through different environmental standards and additional regulations in the EU. In a second step, these additional costs are then compared to the corresponding costs of important competing non-EU competitor countries.

More information and supplementary material on this study can also be found on the DBV website.

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