The initial European Economic Community was largely about the creation of a Common Market, comprising a customs union and providing for the unhampered free movement of goods, persons, services and capital. Over the years, Community/Union competences have been considerably extended into other fields, called policies in EU jargon. This chapter will briefly address those EU policies which have gained significantly in importance, such as the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), environmental and social policy, with particular regard to non-discrimination issues. All were hardly visible in the original TEC and grew only as a consequence of judge-made law, EU legislation and Treaty amendments.

What are the objectives of the CAP?

According to Article 39(1) TFEU (ex Article 33(1) TEC) the aims of the CAP are:

1. (a) to increase agricultural productivity by promoting technical progress and by ensuring the rational development of agricultural production and the optimum utilisation of the factors of production, in particular labour;

2. (b) to ensure a fair standard of living for the agricultural community, in particular by increasing the individual earnings of persons engaged in agriculture;

3. (c) to stabilise markets;

4. (d) to ensure the availability of supplies; and

5. (e) to ensure that supplies reach consumers at reasonable prices.