Abstract

The study offers a comprehensive overview of the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union, examining its stages and historical development before and after signing the Treaty of Lisbon. Wherefor the analyses present the Policy as a unity of mechanisms and rules that govern the production and marketing of agricultural products and their processing on the territory of the European Union. It starts from the main goals of the Common Agricultural Policy and pays attention to its connection to the businesses to develop a strategy to support them in the rural areas. The survey presents some economic challenges for the Policy, related to the food supply, the reduce of productivity rate, the price volatility and the sector incomes, as well, and continuing negative impact of the economic crisis.