Zusammenfassung

Austrian Agriculture in the context of the Common Agricultural Policy and EU Enlargement. In: Farms in Central and Eastern Europe - Today and Tomorrow. Institute of agricultural and food economics national research institute: Warsaw, 187-201

Before 1995 many farmers in Austria expected negative impacts on agricultural structures and on agricultural income in case of an EU accession. The provision of compensatory payments by the EU led to a less dramatic development but changed the structure of total farm income. In comparison to the pre-accession period, when a national market price support system was in place, the contribution of income directly generated from agricultural production to the total income per farm fell to less than 20%. Between 1995 and 2005 about 21 % of all farms in Austria ceased production. But there are also some indications that Austria dealt in a positive manner with the challenge "EU accession". One the one hand the movement of labour out of the agricultural sector showed a slightly decreasing pattern and agricultural trade revealed positive dynamics on the other hand (almost positive trade balance for the first time, increasing unit values of exports).

The future development of farm structure and employment in agriculture is dependent on many factors. One of them is the expected earnings in agriculture. However, the opportunity costs of labour of those engaged in agriculture are even more important for deciding to stay in agriculture or to leave the sector. They are dependent on the availability of off-farm income opportunities, the age structure and the endowment with human capital. Due to the decreasing importance of agriculture, off-farm employment and income sources will become more and more decisive for the socio-economic well-being in rural areas.

Agriculture in Austria is increasingly affected by changing needs of the society concerning work, mobility, housing, and recreation. Rural areas, in most cases closely interrelated with agriculture, are often associated with high environmental values, which are a precious capital for ecology, recreation and tourism. Hence, expectations concerning the provision of general services like green services (environment and landscape), blue services (water management and flood control) and yellow services (social care and cohesion) are increasingly expressed by society. But also the production of agricultural products is faced with new challenges (e.g. food safety and quality, standards, provision of biomass for energetic use). Mirroring these changing processes in agriculture policy makers will have to deal with a number of various issues in the future that comprise amongst others the budgeting of the CAP, the principle role of the two pillars of the CAP and the adaptability and competitiveness of agriculture.