Pillar 2 - Policy Analysis and Advice

FAO Project (GCP/SYR/006/ITA)

Pillar 2: Policy Analysis and Advice

This Project component supports the NAPC in performing agricultural policy analyses and in formulating and monitoring agricultural policies and action-oriented plans and programs, with a view to consolidating and strengthening a sustainable capacity in such work, as well as ensuring the good quality of the policy outputs delivered by NAPC since the early stages of its life. This is being achieved by supporting NAPC staff, principally through on-the-job capacitating assistance at the different phases of the policy analysis work. through the services of resident and visiting experts, assisting in producing periodical reports and thematic studies that provide policy analyses and advices on a number of subjects.

The Syrian Government has acknowledged on several occasions the significant, direct and indirect, role of the Project in assisting the decision-making process.

Indeed, thanks to the documents published in close collaboration with the Project, the NAPC has made significant technical contributions to a number of agricultural policy decisions as well as to the negotiations of the agricultural components of regional and bilateral trade agreements, including the Association Agreement with the EU.

In support of knowledge based decision-making, during Phase I, the Project conducted a set of 14 studies on major agricultural policy issues, providing options for policy actions and setting the ground for the elaboration of a proposal for a sustainable Agricultural Development Strategy . These policy studies are available to the wider public and have been collected in the book "Syrian Agriculture at the Crossroads". Through such studies, the Project has directly and indirectly supported the national decision making process of reforms of policies relevant for agriculture. As an example, their results were used by MAAR in developing the section on agriculture of the global medium term strategy - "Orientations for the agricultural development strategy: horizon 2010" - issued by MAAR in 2000, and approved by the highest political authorities of the Syrian Arab Republic .

During Phase II the Project started to involve the NAPC staff in producing policy analysis and advice studies to feed the policy debate and decision making in Syria for implementation of the national strategy towards a more market-oriented economy. Export Promotion to the EU markets is among the outputs of the joint effort of the Project and the NAPC. Regular reports on Syrian Agricultural Trade (published every year) and the State of Food and Agriculture in Syria (published every other year) are becoming core references for policy makers and are enriching public awareness of agricultural development issues. Furthermore, two studies on Farming System s and on Comparative Adv antages of Syrian agriculture have been completed, and an experiment in Agricultural Policy Monitoring was conducted with reference to the implementation of the Great Arab Free Trade Agreement (GAFTA) . Furthermore, the Project also gave its contribution in policy analysis by producing reports on issues of particular importance for the country: Reforming Syrian Agricultural Subsidies and Syrian Accession to the WTO .

In Phase III , three Thematic Advisers have been added to the features of the policy analysis and advice component of the Project. They are university professors of esteemed expertise contracted by the Project, assigned one each to the three research divisions of the NAPC (Agro-food, Trade, Rural Development), frequently visiting the NAPC. They are directly involved in assisting the production of studies and analytical reports such as the NAPC periodical reports and thematic studies. They also help in shaping new outputs to be regularly produced by the NAPC (as for example commodity bulletins and policy briefs) and contribute to the on-the-job training of the staff.

MAIN OUTPUTS

I. Elaboration of an Agricultural Development Strategy

II. POLICY STUDIES

A. AGRICULTURAL TRADE

• Promoting Export of Fruit and Vegetables to the EU

• Options for Reforming Agricultural Support

• Implementation of GAFTA in Syria

• Syrian-EU Association and Agriculture

• Syrian Accession to the WTO

B. AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION

• Comparative Advantages of Syrian Agriculture

• Livestock

• Olive Oil Subsector

• Citrus Subsector

• Strategic Crops

C. CROSSCUTTING THEMES

• Marketing of Agricultural Products

• Input Markets Liberalization

• Farming Systems

• Food Security

• Land Tenure

• Environmental Impacts of Agricultural Practices

• Promoting Investments in Agro-Industry

• Water Use in Agriculture

• Rural Credit

• Taxation & Subsidization of Agriculture

III. Periodical reports

The State of Food and Agriculture in the Syrian Arab Republic (SOFAS)

The SOFAS is issued biennially to portray the state and evolution of the Syrian agricultural sector and to deepen a topic of particular importance for agricultural development in Syria in a special chapter. Designed to support economic and social development in Syria , the SOFAS series intends to stimulate the debate on agricultural policies and to facilitate the mobilization of all stakeholders for the success of the policy reform process.

IV. The Syrian Agricultural Trade (SAT)

The SAT, issued annually, illustrates the evolution of world and Syrian agricultural trade in line with the increasing economic and social interdependence among countries brought about by global market liberalization. It intends to be a source of information and a tool for decision makers to consolidate Syria's reform process, increase its outward orientation, build up a network of bilateral and multilateral agreements, promote trade liberalization and, thus, accelerate the country's economic development.

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