European Union Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

European Union - Essay Example inning of the year 1990 which commenced with the seeking increased reduction on the market price support, and a support for direct payments (1992, and 1999 reforms), and certain reforms which were as recent as 2003, of promoting decoupled direct payments as opposed to the coupled direct subsidies. The underlying objective of CAP reforms was: aiming to increase agricultural productivity through technological innovation, stabilizing the internal markets, ensuring availability of food supplies at reasonable prices to customers etc. The said reforms were proposed to have significant implications especially on the Alberta/Canada agriculture. However, the reforms failed to deliver the promised returns and turned out to be much less impressive since the time they were conceived, owing to such factors as: budgetary pressures, expanded membership and external pressures that led to political pressures being imposed on the Union which ultimately succumbed to such external threats and hence fail ed to deliver. Although certain liberties in terms of negotiating flexibility and export subsidies were granted to them for the Doha round of domestic support, but was too, plagued with failure owing to limited direction and restricted market access (David Coleman, Pp. 77 – 100). The Competition Policy of the EU was aimed at encouraging competition in the European countries since it would lead to lowered prices and increased choice for the European consumers. The current policy is governed by article 81of the treaty ended to be addressed by ensuring taking prompt and strict action against those business practices that discouraged or restricted competition, examine mergers to gauge their effect on reducing competition, open up competition in those areas which were previously controlled by State run monopolies, and by co-operating with other competition authorities world wide. The competition policy has been instrumental in shaping the economic and social integration of the member