Impact of the European Common Agricultural Policy Reform on Future Research on Rural Areas

European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform not only has an impact on agriculture, but also has significant effects on rural areas. This is caused specifically by decoupling direct payments from agricultural production, which will increase the market orientation of agriculture. Based on an analysis of the CAP reform, this article suggests a number of key tasks for future research on rural areas. In particular, a greater focus on behavioural aspects of farmers and on an integration of agriculture into regional and local structures is recommended.