Changes in Austria’s agricultural structures since the accession to the EU in 1995

Since joining the EU in 1995, Austria has been subject to EU regulations including the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The opening of the markets to consumers and producers and the reduction of producer prices to EU level represented big challenges in the early years. Vast adaptation measures were adopted in Austria’s agricultural sector and compensatory measures were financed by both Austria and the EU. The CAP, however, has continued to develop and the periodic new objectives, programs and measures also had to be implemented, thereby affecting the economy, agricultural and regional structures as well as landscapes. This article analyses the regional development of agrarian structures in the context of the historical CAP stages. Detailed regional statistical analyses of the Austrian situation have been carried out based on data from IACS and statistical censuses for the eight Austrian agricultural production zones, for specific years with sound and comparable data on development. Absolute numbers, rates of change and indices for specialisation and concentration for numbers of businesses, livestock and areas are presented to illustrate changes in Austria’s agricultural structures