Die ersten Erfahrungen der österreichischen Landwirtschaft mit der Gemeinsamen Agrarpolitik (GAP) der EU entsprechen im wesentlichen
den Erwartungen. Die landwirtschaftlichen Erzeugerpreise sind seit dem EU-Beitritt erheblich gesunken. Der Importdruck aus
der EU ist jedoch noch begrenzt. Die inländischen Anbieter haben ihre Abgabepreise vorbeugend unter das Niveau potentieller
EU-Konkurrenten gesenkt, um den Marktzutritt zu erschweren. Die Verbraucher profitierten bisher jedoch von der drastischen
Verringerung der Agrarpreise nur unterproportional. Nahrungsmittel und Getränke wurden im Gefolge des EU-Beitritts um durchschnittlich
2% billiger. Die niedrigen Agrarpreise und die daraus resultierende Verbilligung des Rohstoffeinsatzes hätten eine Ermäßigung
der Nahrungsmittelpreise in zumindest doppelter Höhe erwarten lassen. Im Agrarexport brachte der Abbau früherer Beschränkungen
in den für die österreichischen Bauern zentralen Sparten bisher keine bedeutenden Absatzerfolge.
Keywords:Bilanz der ersten Erfahrungen mit der Gemeinsamen Agrarpolitik; First Experiences with the Common Agricultural Policy
Forschungsbereich:Regionalökonomie und räumliche Analyse
Sprache:Deutsch
First Experiences with the Common Agricultural Policy
In the agricultural sector, first experiences with the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) broadly confirm earlier expectations.
Agricultural producer prices have fallen significantly: grain by about one-half, beef by around 10 and pork by 20 percent,
milk by roughly one-third. Import competition from the EU as a consequence of market opening has so far been limited, according
to the information available. Severe market disturbances have not occurred, making it unnecessary to invoke article 146a of
the Accession Act providing for a protection clause within the first five years of membership. An important reason for the
relatively small rise in imports from the EU and the absence of market disruptions have been the partly pre-emptive cuts in
sales prices for some "critical" commodities by Austrian producers, below the level of potential competitors from the EU.
Major examples are milk and dairy products, flour, but also meat. Over the medium term, however, higher imports and thus losses
of domestic market shares to EU competitors are to some extent unavoidable; they would give no reason for concern even from
the domestic suppliers' point of view, as long as they are matched by higher exports. As for agricultural exports, the abolition
of former restrictions in key areas has so far not led to a substantial boost for Austrian farmers – on the contrary: the
fall of the old export promotion system brought to the forefront a number of important competitive weaknesses of domestic
producers, such as high costs and insufficient adjustment to new market trends and consumer preferences, which had previously
been masked by export and other subsidies. Consumers have so far benefited only partially, and often less than expected, from
lower agricultural prices. Food and beverage prices fell by nearly 2 percent, on average, as a consequence of EU accession
(between October 1994 and March 1995), according to a survey carried out by the Statistical Office in connection with calculations
for the consumer price index. The lower agricultural prices and the resulting cost advantages for commodity inputs would have
suggested a drop in food prices twice that amount.
