This collective effort on 25 March 1957 led to the signing of the Treaty of Rome (European Economic Community), which established the first genuine European policy, the CAP, placing it at the centre of the activity of the European Economic Community (EEC).82 The CAP was the first example of a supra‑national policy, designed to ensure food self‑sufficiency within the Community space.83 The CAP was called upon not only to address the immediate needs connected with agricultural production but also to promote political and social stability among the Member States. The CAP was set out in Title II, entitled “Agriculture”, of Part II of the EEC Treaty of 1957, laying down “Bases of the Community”. Article 38, par. 1 of the EEC Treaty stipulated that “The Common Market shall extend to agriculture and trade in agricultural products”, while Article 38, par. 4 provided that “The functioning and development of the Common Market in respect of agricultural products shall be accompanied by the establishment of a common agricultural policy among the Member States.” Article 39 of the Rome Treaty of 1957, placing as a prerequisite the integration of markets, set the objectives of the CAP84 by identifying five fundamental points.85 Such purposes mirrored the need of creating a resilient and self-sufficient agriculture system, able to meet the food needs in the both short and the long term.86 The CAP represented one of the most significant elements in the process of European unification, constituting the most significant aggregating factor and the most important policy of economic management and soil stewardship implemented in the almost 70‑year history of the European Union. It was a political and financial commitment for the agricultural sector and rural territories 82 See P. De Castro, Piano Marshall, cit., p. 3. For an overview of the main legislative and policy developments shaping the EU CAP see R. Rossi, 1962-2022: Sessant’anni di politica agricola comune dell’UE (PE 729.414), Servizio Ricerca del Parlamento europeo, May 2022. The document is available at https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/ etudes/ATAG/2022/729414/EPRS_ATA(2022)729414_IT.pdf. 83 See P. De Castro, Piano Marshall, cit., p. 3. As pointed out by L. Costato, Diritto al cibo, cit., p. 20, the CAP, until 1992, did practically apply the “food sovereignty”, namely a policy aiming to the European Community food self-sufficiency, coyly referred to as “food security”; in substance, the two terms were synonyms. 84 See L. Costato, Diritto al cibo, cit., p. 19. 85 Article 39, par. 1: “The common agricultural policy shall have as its objectives: (a) to increase agricultural productivity by developing technical progress and by ensuring the rational development of agricultural production and the optimum utilisation of the factors of production, particularly labour; (b) to ensure thereby a fair standard of living for the agricultural population, particularly by the increasing of the individual earnings of persons engaged in agriculture; (c) to stabilise markets; (d) to guarantee regular supplies; and (e) to ensure reasonable prices in supplies to consumers.” On such provision see, among others, P. De Castro, Piano Marshall, cit., p. 5. 86 D. Zaottini (edited by), La riforma della Politica agricola comune (PAC) 2023-2027, Senato della Repubblica - Servizio Studi, Servizio Affari Internazionali, Dossier No. 81, April 2024, p. 7. The Dossier is available at https://www. senato.it/service/PDF/PDFServer/BGT/01411774.pdf. 445 WATER GOVERNANCE AND RIGHT TO FOOD
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