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The introduction of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the European Union was an important step for Bulgaria and Romania. However, their administrative capacity for managing CAP instruments is still evolving, and they face challenges in delivering services that are crucial for implementing the CAP measures. This article, based on semi-structured interviews among key actors, explores administrative obstacles. The analysis is structured according to the two complementary concepts of accountability and administrative capacity. The findings show that the main accountability problems are related to a complex administrative structure and to the large number of smallholders, which necessitates greater administrative efforts than in established member states. Moreover, due to a lack of representative farmers’ associations, farmers, and particularly small farmers, have no clear means to voice their concerns. The main problems concerning administrative capacity are related to deficient data collection and processing, over-centralized decision-making, and limited coordination among agencies. Points for practitioners To improve the delivery of services in new member states such as Bulgaria and Romania, the CAP should pay greater attention to the specific conditions of transition countries, such as their high share of smallholders. It should be determined whether some responsibilities could be devolved to lower administration levels, e.g. by decentralizing decision-making authorities. Moreover, integrated agricultural offices should be established to house front office agencies in the same buildings, a more comprehensive and tailored system of human resource management should be developed, and the outreach of farmers’ associations should be further advanced and facilitated.

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) was implemented in Bulgaria in 2007. Due to its complexity, farmers requested specific assistance from agricultural extension services. Drawing on interviews with extension service stakeholders, the authors explore the functioning and shortcomings of the current Bulgarian public and private extension systems in assisting farmers to benefit from policy measures. Insufficient staff numbers, a lack of skills and expertise, unclear tasks and responsibilities, and low accessibility for the most vulnerable farmers are identified as issues. The paper highlights the need to reform the Bulgarian Farm Advisory System to cope with these weaknesses in light of the forthcoming CAP Measure 114.

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Dans cet article, nous étudions les rendements salariaux au capital santé, mesuré par l’indice de masse corporelle, et à la nutrition, mesurée par la consommation de kilocalories, dans un panel de travailleurs chinois issu des China Health and Nutrition Surveys de 1991 et 1993. Nous mettons en oeuvre la procédure économétrique de Semykina et Wooldridge (2005) qui tient compte simultanément de l’hétérogénéité individuelle inobservable, du biais de sélection et de l’endogénéité. Nos résultats démontrent que les rendements à la santé et à la nutrition sont limités en Chine au secteur privé, et qu’ils ne sont pas présents dans le secteur étatique, assujetti au dirigisme centralisé.