The concept of decoupling relates, by and large, to the principle of separating payments from the requirement that farmers produce specified programme crops and/or divert land from production. The removal of an inherently contradictory traditional policy – asking farmers to reduce production while implicitly encouraging more output by tying their needs to each unit of production – is a chief goal of decoupling. The simplification of payment arrangements is one of the main reasons for the Commission's proposal. Decoupling is also being proposed to encourage greater market orientation, to reduce pressure on the environment and to improve efficiency and income transfer to farmers. It will make the extension of the CAP to accession countries easier.