Key policy questions for ex-ante impact assessment of European agricultural and rural policies

Policies in the agricultural and rural sectors are of key importance in shaping their sustainable\r\ndevelopment. These policies are changing from market-based policies to policies that aim to\r\ninfluence farmers’ decision-making. Thus, the scientific literature supporting evidence-based\r\npolicy-making must develop models that simulate individual decision-making (IDM) by farmers.\r\nThis study aims to understand key policy objectives, related policy questions and benchmark\r\nscenarios relevant to the European agricultural sector to define the research agenda for a suite of\r\nIDM models. This research goal has been addressed following a five-step process that involved\r\ndifferent research tools and heterogeneous actors, including key stakeholders. Results suggest that\r\nenvironmental policy objectives are the most relevant for European agriculture in the coming\r\ndecades. Thus, the scenario modelling exercise should focus mainly on the agri-environmental\r\npolicies’ impacts while properly considering the potential trade-offs between economic and\r\nenvironmental objectives.