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A rural policy for the EEC?
Book reviews
Uncertain future for rural Europe A RURAL POLICY FOR THE EEC? by Hugh Clout The Methuen EEC Series (General Editor R.A. But/in), Methuen, London, UK, 1984, 214 pp In this first and valuable attempt to draw together the diverse threads of policy, and social, economic and agricultural history which together have shaped the fabric of the rural areas of the European Economic Community, Dr Clout has made an important statement about the urgent need for a more coherent rural policy for the EEC. But in doing so, he sadly fails to capitalize on the strength of his analysis: leaving the reader definitely the wiser but somewhat frustrated by the absence of a fully developed argument. Thus this book remains an invaluable source of information and data - particularly comparative data between the member states - but does not realize its full potential as a polemical work at this critical time and in a critical area of the EEC’s development. The significance of this book lies in the question mark in its title - is there a rural policy for the EEC? Should there be, and can there be? And what should be its guiding principles? It is a question which is particularly pertinent at this time of rapid social and economic change in Europe and while the future of one of its most influential policy areas - agriculture - remains so uncertain. Dr Clout’s reason for writing this book and his approach to the subject are well founded. The result makes an important contribution to an area of policy of great interest to many but which is rarely presented so fully or so cogently. Its value lies not least in the fact that it is one of a series of books produced by Methuen designed to make the justification for and operation of EEC policies more clearly understood by students from a wide range of disciplines. Rural policy which touches every aspect of European life - is a particularly apposite
LAND USE POLICY
October
1985
subject at the present time and the author has rightly sought to use this opportunity to draw together threads from a wide range of policy areas.
European
diversity
It is a common fallacy that European rural policy is represented by agricultural policy. Dr Clout dispels this image swiftly, drawing on familiar concepts to establish early in the reader’s mind a multidisciplinary approach to rural issues. Thus the broader-than-agricultural basis of the rural economy and the importance of perspective are a socioeconomic quickly perceived, encouraging the reader to look for evidence of a similarly broadly-based policy framework - one which, as Dr Clout’s analysis quickly reveals, is conspicuous by its absence. This line of questioning arises.quite naturally in the reader from the book’s construction, and the wealth of information it contains. Introductory chapters set the context and describe the land and natural resources of the member states (although much of the book relates solely to the ten members, maps usefully include Spain and Portugal, whose accession to the EEC was recently agreed). In these the remarkably diverse nature of Europe’s landscapes, cultures and economies is particularly striking, leading to some comprehension of the challenges which face any EEC-wide policy. Chapter 2 provides a useful historical base on which the substance of the book rests, by examining the position of Europe in the early 195Os, as it emerged from a major war, and following which the first steps towards establishing the EEC were taken. Later chapters draw heavily on this information: assessments of population distribution; the degree of urbanization; employment and housing structures; landholding patterns and methods of production, and the emerging awareness of conservation and protection of the rural environment. Population -both depopulation and repopulation - are the subject of
detailed analysis in Chapters 3 and 4, with trends visible on a European scale. However, Dr Clout’s use of detailed case studies within chapters (for example in Greece, France, Italy and Western Germany) highlight regional and even local variations which give considerable insight into the variable impact of policy mechanisms on individual areas. The general picture of population dynamics is broadly as might be expected: depopulation of the remoter areas of countryside both consequent on and partly responsible for a declining agricultural workforce; with repopulation occurring in the more accessible rural areas due to the impact of commuting, resulting in a ‘counterurbanization’ process. Both factors have had considerable implications for the social and economic structures of rural communities, but have not stimulated the development of new techniques or policies to deal with them effectively.
Conservation Similar concerns emerge from the later chapters on land and farming structures: the changes which have taken place within the agricultural systems of Europe and the emerging of conservation. Since awareness these are set against a clear socioeconomic message, the single-mindedness of EEC agricultural policies, which have sought to increase production and improve efficiency with (apparently) little concern for either rural communities or conservation, seem unacceptable in their limitations. However, it is in these later chapters that the intra- and interregional differences of Europe become most apparent. The EEC as a whole has agreed and operated policies which, overall, have been successful in their objectives of making Europe more selfsufficient in the production of food. But individual member states have, by virtue of the high degree of discretion permitted, been able to implement those policies to meet the particular concerns and difficulties which they experience. For example, support is given to meet social and economic objectives in parts of the Community
353
Book reviews
where agriculture requires the existence of thriving communities to provide labour at certain times of the year, or where there are strong political motives for sustaining small, noneconomic farms to sustain the viability of an area. Here again, however, some broad trends are identifiable. Northern Europe has tended to pursue the economic/efficient route, which has squeezed out smaller, less efficient farmers and encouraged the emergence of agribusiness. Southern Europe (and the margins such as Eire and the hills and uplands of Britain) has largely recognized (if not fully implemented) the need for agricultural supports which also have a socioeconomic and/or environmental function. A final chapter in this section reviews the environmental component of rural policy. It is found to be markedly different in each of the member states, but similar concerns are emerging in each country with the growth of pressure groups’ awareness of the impact of agricultural policy on traditional landscapes and wildlife habitats in particular. It is possible to infer that this growing commonality of view might lead to policy reviews which would begin to answer particular environmental concerns. However, it is difficult to see the environment emerging as the common thread which would bring social, economic and agricultural objectives together while agricultural policy is so much more preoc-
Countryside
by Paul J. Cloke and Chris C. Park Helm,
Beckenham,
1985,
Recent years have seen increasing pressures on the countryside from continuing economic and social changes. The intensification of farming and forestry, the widespread destruction of wildlife habitats and the influx of townspeople seeking recreation and even somewhere to live: these are but a few of the demands
354
Fiona Reynolds Council for National Parks London, UK
controversies
RURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Croom f22.50
cupied with its massive financial problems, stemming from surpluses, high support prices and unsustainable commitments to increased productivity. Yet this is the very challenge which the European Community faces, and Dr Clout, having brought us to this point, sadly fails to take us one logical step further. His concluding chapter does indeed point the way to the need for greater integration of policies, and describes some useful initiatives (for example in rural France) which may contribute tb that process. But what is missing is a final, but urgently needed closing contextual view; of the political and economic dynamics which will influence the direction of policy over the next decade or so, and of the motivation which needs to precede new policies and enterprises. Dr Clout has indeed provided us with food for thought in this book; and illustrated it with a wealth of detail that must rarely be available or so easily accessible. He has, however, left us on the edge of the precipice which needs to be scaled if European policy is to reflect more fully the needs of tomorrow’s citizens, and which therefore requires considerable further analysis before the intriguing question mark in the title of this book can be answered.
being placed on a precious and finite conresource. As countryside troversies and conflicts escalate so too does the amount of literature being published. The past decade has seen a steady supply of books on such subjects as rural geography, rural rerural planning and rural sources, sociology. In their book Rural Resource Management, Cloke and Park attempt to provide an overview of resource management together with a geographical treatment of natural, landscape and social resources. Much of the book is dedicated to resource conflicts and
management techniques, with an emphasis on the integration of human and environmental aspects of rural planning. The opening two chapters provide something of a background to the book’s title by reviewing the. diversity of images and perceptions which abound concerning the meaning of the words ‘rural’ and ‘resource’. It is this wide difference of opinion and understanding that makes rural resource management such a difficult task. Therefore, from the outset, the authors impress upon the reader a picture of complexity that offers no easy or clearcut solutions.
Rural resources The book is divided into three main sections. Section I reviews the rural resource base, looking in turn at natural, landscape and social resources. In the words of the authors, this section provides ‘the foundation stone on which Sections II and III will build’. Three types of natural resource are highlighted - mineral resources, water resources and ecological resources. These three tend to figure most prominently in resource-use conflicts and deserve particular attention for that reason. Landscape as a resource refers to both land use and scenery in an area. The authors argue that landscape as we know it is generally created unconsciously as a result of resource use, and is thus a residual element in countryside resource management. Yet, included under landscape is the term ‘wilderness’ which evokes images of wild and uninhabited countryside which has been untainted by humans and their resource-use conflicts. Decisions taken concerning natural and landscape resources inevitably affect to varying degrees the lives of rural dwellers, the communities in which they live and the services upon which they depend. In Chapter 5, Cloke and Park highlight how social change and resource allocation policies have combined to produce a state of widespread rural underprovision and deprivation. Section II reviews the major resource conflicts currently affecting the countryside. The authors devote one
LAND USE POLICY October
1985
Uncertain future for rural Europe A RURAL POLICY FOR THE EEC? by Hugh Clout The Methuen EEC Series (General Editor R.A. But/in), Methuen, London, UK, 1984, 214 pp In this first and valuable attempt to draw together the diverse threads of policy, and social, economic and agricultural history which together have shaped the fabric of the rural areas of the European Economic Community, Dr Clout has made an important statement about the urgent need for a more coherent rural policy for the EEC. But in doing so, he sadly fails to capitalize on the strength of his analysis: leaving the reader definitely the wiser but somewhat frustrated by the absence of a fully developed argument. Thus this book remains an invaluable source of information and data - particularly comparative data between the member states - but does not realize its full potential as a polemical work at this critical time and in a critical area of the EEC’s development. The significance of this book lies in the question mark in its title - is there a rural policy for the EEC? Should there be, and can there be? And what should be its guiding principles? It is a question which is particularly pertinent at this time of rapid social and economic change in Europe and while the future of one of its most influential policy areas - agriculture - remains so uncertain. Dr Clout’s reason for writing this book and his approach to the subject are well founded. The result makes an important contribution to an area of policy of great interest to many but which is rarely presented so fully or so cogently. Its value lies not least in the fact that it is one of a series of books produced by Methuen designed to make the justification for and operation of EEC policies more clearly understood by students from a wide range of disciplines. Rural policy which touches every aspect of European life - is a particularly apposite
LAND USE POLICY
October
1985
subject at the present time and the author has rightly sought to use this opportunity to draw together threads from a wide range of policy areas.
European
diversity
It is a common fallacy that European rural policy is represented by agricultural policy. Dr Clout dispels this image swiftly, drawing on familiar concepts to establish early in the reader’s mind a multidisciplinary approach to rural issues. Thus the broader-than-agricultural basis of the rural economy and the importance of perspective are a socioeconomic quickly perceived, encouraging the reader to look for evidence of a similarly broadly-based policy framework - one which, as Dr Clout’s analysis quickly reveals, is conspicuous by its absence. This line of questioning arises.quite naturally in the reader from the book’s construction, and the wealth of information it contains. Introductory chapters set the context and describe the land and natural resources of the member states (although much of the book relates solely to the ten members, maps usefully include Spain and Portugal, whose accession to the EEC was recently agreed). In these the remarkably diverse nature of Europe’s landscapes, cultures and economies is particularly striking, leading to some comprehension of the challenges which face any EEC-wide policy. Chapter 2 provides a useful historical base on which the substance of the book rests, by examining the position of Europe in the early 195Os, as it emerged from a major war, and following which the first steps towards establishing the EEC were taken. Later chapters draw heavily on this information: assessments of population distribution; the degree of urbanization; employment and housing structures; landholding patterns and methods of production, and the emerging awareness of conservation and protection of the rural environment. Population -both depopulation and repopulation - are the subject of
detailed analysis in Chapters 3 and 4, with trends visible on a European scale. However, Dr Clout’s use of detailed case studies within chapters (for example in Greece, France, Italy and Western Germany) highlight regional and even local variations which give considerable insight into the variable impact of policy mechanisms on individual areas. The general picture of population dynamics is broadly as might be expected: depopulation of the remoter areas of countryside both consequent on and partly responsible for a declining agricultural workforce; with repopulation occurring in the more accessible rural areas due to the impact of commuting, resulting in a ‘counterurbanization’ process. Both factors have had considerable implications for the social and economic structures of rural communities, but have not stimulated the development of new techniques or policies to deal with them effectively.
Conservation Similar concerns emerge from the later chapters on land and farming structures: the changes which have taken place within the agricultural systems of Europe and the emerging of conservation. Since awareness these are set against a clear socioeconomic message, the single-mindedness of EEC agricultural policies, which have sought to increase production and improve efficiency with (apparently) little concern for either rural communities or conservation, seem unacceptable in their limitations. However, it is in these later chapters that the intra- and interregional differences of Europe become most apparent. The EEC as a whole has agreed and operated policies which, overall, have been successful in their objectives of making Europe more selfsufficient in the production of food. But individual member states have, by virtue of the high degree of discretion permitted, been able to implement those policies to meet the particular concerns and difficulties which they experience. For example, support is given to meet social and economic objectives in parts of the Community
353
Book reviews
where agriculture requires the existence of thriving communities to provide labour at certain times of the year, or where there are strong political motives for sustaining small, noneconomic farms to sustain the viability of an area. Here again, however, some broad trends are identifiable. Northern Europe has tended to pursue the economic/efficient route, which has squeezed out smaller, less efficient farmers and encouraged the emergence of agribusiness. Southern Europe (and the margins such as Eire and the hills and uplands of Britain) has largely recognized (if not fully implemented) the need for agricultural supports which also have a socioeconomic and/or environmental function. A final chapter in this section reviews the environmental component of rural policy. It is found to be markedly different in each of the member states, but similar concerns are emerging in each country with the growth of pressure groups’ awareness of the impact of agricultural policy on traditional landscapes and wildlife habitats in particular. It is possible to infer that this growing commonality of view might lead to policy reviews which would begin to answer particular environmental concerns. However, it is difficult to see the environment emerging as the common thread which would bring social, economic and agricultural objectives together while agricultural policy is so much more preoc-
Countryside
by Paul J. Cloke and Chris C. Park Helm,
Beckenham,
1985,
Recent years have seen increasing pressures on the countryside from continuing economic and social changes. The intensification of farming and forestry, the widespread destruction of wildlife habitats and the influx of townspeople seeking recreation and even somewhere to live: these are but a few of the demands
354
Fiona Reynolds Council for National Parks London, UK
controversies
RURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Croom f22.50
cupied with its massive financial problems, stemming from surpluses, high support prices and unsustainable commitments to increased productivity. Yet this is the very challenge which the European Community faces, and Dr Clout, having brought us to this point, sadly fails to take us one logical step further. His concluding chapter does indeed point the way to the need for greater integration of policies, and describes some useful initiatives (for example in rural France) which may contribute tb that process. But what is missing is a final, but urgently needed closing contextual view; of the political and economic dynamics which will influence the direction of policy over the next decade or so, and of the motivation which needs to precede new policies and enterprises. Dr Clout has indeed provided us with food for thought in this book; and illustrated it with a wealth of detail that must rarely be available or so easily accessible. He has, however, left us on the edge of the precipice which needs to be scaled if European policy is to reflect more fully the needs of tomorrow’s citizens, and which therefore requires considerable further analysis before the intriguing question mark in the title of this book can be answered.
being placed on a precious and finite conresource. As countryside troversies and conflicts escalate so too does the amount of literature being published. The past decade has seen a steady supply of books on such subjects as rural geography, rural rerural planning and rural sources, sociology. In their book Rural Resource Management, Cloke and Park attempt to provide an overview of resource management together with a geographical treatment of natural, landscape and social resources. Much of the book is dedicated to resource conflicts and
management techniques, with an emphasis on the integration of human and environmental aspects of rural planning. The opening two chapters provide something of a background to the book’s title by reviewing the. diversity of images and perceptions which abound concerning the meaning of the words ‘rural’ and ‘resource’. It is this wide difference of opinion and understanding that makes rural resource management such a difficult task. Therefore, from the outset, the authors impress upon the reader a picture of complexity that offers no easy or clearcut solutions.
Rural resources The book is divided into three main sections. Section I reviews the rural resource base, looking in turn at natural, landscape and social resources. In the words of the authors, this section provides ‘the foundation stone on which Sections II and III will build’. Three types of natural resource are highlighted - mineral resources, water resources and ecological resources. These three tend to figure most prominently in resource-use conflicts and deserve particular attention for that reason. Landscape as a resource refers to both land use and scenery in an area. The authors argue that landscape as we know it is generally created unconsciously as a result of resource use, and is thus a residual element in countryside resource management. Yet, included under landscape is the term ‘wilderness’ which evokes images of wild and uninhabited countryside which has been untainted by humans and their resource-use conflicts. Decisions taken concerning natural and landscape resources inevitably affect to varying degrees the lives of rural dwellers, the communities in which they live and the services upon which they depend. In Chapter 5, Cloke and Park highlight how social change and resource allocation policies have combined to produce a state of widespread rural underprovision and deprivation. Section II reviews the major resource conflicts currently affecting the countryside. The authors devote one
LAND USE POLICY October
1985