Possibilities of internal redistribution of direct payments in Romania: an experts’ consultation

Abstract

The consultation conducted by the author on the eventual redistribution of direct payments through certain elements of the agricultural policies proposed for the period 2014-2020 was mainly based on two questionnaires sent to a limited number of experts interested in the equity and efficiency of payments granted to the Romanian farmers. In the case of Romania, with its dual agricultural sector, an exercise of experts’ consultation leads to the following conclusions: the small farm supporters are in favour of redistribution, but they understand that the small farmers scheme has positive effects that can be separated from redistribution and that is why they also consider that the alternative calculation formula is also desirable, which is also accepted by the large farm supporters; and the large farm supporters are against capping, but they understood that capping that would be followed by directing the saved amounts to investments on the large farms would benefit these, maintaining them in the category of competitive farms at European level, while the small farm supporters are in favour of this approach, which would mean not an absolute capping, but rather an “obligation” of large farms to invest.