Set-aside was an incentive scheme introduced by the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1988 (Regulation (EEC) 1272/88),[1] to (i) help reduce the large and costly surpluses produced in Europe under the guaranteed price system of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP); and (ii) to deliver some environmental benefits following considerable damage to agricultural ecosystems and wildlife as a result of the intensification of agriculture.It sought to achieve this by requiring that farmers leave a proportion of their land out of intensive production.[2] Set-aside became compulsory in 1992 for large arable farmers as part of the MacSharry reform of the Common Agricultural Policy.In order to receive payment on these set-aside entitlements, an equivalent number of hectares had to be removed from agricultural production.[5][6] The EC agreed in November 2008 to abolish set-aside completely through the CAP Health Check.
