Community Strategic Guidelines 2007-2013

DG AGRI, July 2005

Rural Development

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Regulation and Guidelines

RDR => purpose and scope of assistance from the RD fund

CSG => EU level priorities within the RDR framework, in particular focus on sustainability (Göteborg) and growth and jobs (Lisbon)

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The CSG will help to: identify and agree the areas where the use of EU

support for rural development will create the most value added at EU level;

make the link with the main EU priorities (Lisbon, Göteborg) and translate them into RD policy;

ensure consistency with other EU policies, in particular in the field of cohesion and environment;

accompany the implementation of the new market oriented Common Agricultural Policy and the necessary restructuring it will entail in the old and the new Member States.

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Community priorities

Axis 1: improving the competitiveness of the agricultural and forestry sectors

Guideline 1: the resources devoted to axis 1 should contribute to a strong and dynamic European agrifood sector by focusing on the priorities of knowledge transfer and innovation in the food chain and priority sectors for investment in physical and human capital.

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Community priorities

Axis 2: improving the environment and countryside Guideline 2: the resources devoted to axis 2 should

contribute to three EU level priority areas: biodiversity and preservation of high nature value farming and forestry systems, water, and climate change.

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Community priorities

Axis 3: improving the quality of life in rural areas and encouraging diversification

Guideline 3: the resources devoted to axis 3 should contribute to the overarching priority of the creation of employment opportunities in the fields of diversification and quality of life.

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Community priorities

Axis 4 (Leader): building local capacity for employment and diversification

Guideline 4: the resources devoted to axis 4 should contribute to the priorities of axis 1 and 2 and in particular of axis 3, but also play an important role in the priority of improving governance and mobilising the endogenous development potential of rural areas.

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Community priorities

Horizontal: translating priorities into programmes Guideline 5: in working out their national strategies, Member

States should ensure that synergies between and within the axes are maximised and potential contradictions avoided. They will also wish to reflect on how other EU level strategies such as the Action Plan for Organic Farming , the latest Commission Communication on Renewable Energy , the Commission’s recent Communication on Climate Change and the Commission’s report on the EU Forestry Strategy (which can help deliver on both the growth and employment and the sustainability objectives) and the forthcoming thematic environmental strategies can be taken into account.

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Community priorities

Horizontal: complementarity between Community instruments Guideline 6: The synergy between structural, employment and

rural development policies needs to be encouraged. In this context, Member States should ensure complementarity and coherence between actions to be financed by the ERDF, Cohesion Fund, ESF, EFF and EAFRD on a given territory and in a given field of activity. The main guiding principles as regards the demarcation line and the coordination mechanisms between actions supported by the different Funds should be defined at the level of national strategic reference framework/national strategy plan.

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The reporting system

Strategic monitoring based on the common monitoring and evaluation framework

Limited set of common indicators (output, result and impact) which can be aggregated from the individual programmes (annual) to the MS summaries and the Commission EU level report (every 2 years) to measure progress in achieving the EU priorities

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Examples of EU level lead indicators

GVA in primary sector in rural areasfarmers with basic and full education attainedlabour productivity in agricultureUAA under Natura 2000forest area under Natura 2000Water quality: gross nutrient balancesUAA devoted to renewable energyGDP/capitaunemployment ratefarmers with other gainful activitiesaccess to broadbandparticipation in life long learning

axis 4 share of population covered by LAGs

axis 1

axis 2

axis 3

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The timetable:

Legislative framework: Council regulation, 3 IRs in place by end of 2005, idem CMEF

Community Strategic Guidelines: adoption in the Autumn

National strategy plans: end of 2005/beginning 2006

RD programmes: submission 1st half 2006, approval 2nd half 2006

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Rural development and territorial cohesion RD is a mix of a sectoral and territorial dimension;

axis 1: more sectoral approach, axis 2: both sectoral and territorial, axes 3 and 4: territorial approach

RD contributes to territorial cohesion: a robust agricultural and forestry sector contributes to narrowing the economic gap between rural/non-rural areas, local development strategies complement regional policy and contribute to narrowing further the gap, including in social terms

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Interaction rural/urban Rural areas can offer safe and quality food,

leisure, public amenities and environmental goods to urban populations: rural areas are the drivers of the urban welbeing

Urban poles are the ‘clients’ of the rural areas in many respects: they consume and enjoy what rural areas offer: urban areas are the players for the economic and social survival of the rural areas

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Conclusion

Both policies, regional and rural, can offer the tools for fostering interlinks and enhancing positive interactions between rural areas and urban poles