unit “pre-accession assistance to agriculture and rural ...seerural.org/1documents/eu_corner/the...

The EC's approach to rural developmentThe EC s approach to rural development, with an emphasis on pre-accession period

Marius LazdinisUnit “Pre-accession assistance to agriculture and rural development”

• EC’s approach to rural development

• Framework for assistance to pre-accession countries

• State of play - Where do we stand?

2Western Balkans Forum 26-29 January, Kosovo

EC’s approach to rural development

Why have a RD ypolicy?

More than 91 % ofMore than 91 % of the territory of the EU is "rural“

Home to more than 56 % of the EU's populationpopulation



Why have a RD policy?

European countryside gives us foodEuropean countryside gives us food, essential raw materials, is valuable place of beauty, rest and recreation, it acts as

lour lungs

Rural areas face significant challenges



Why have a RD policy?y p y

Rural areas face significant challenges

• Average income per head is lower in rural regions than in towns and cities

• Skills base is narrower and the service sector isSkills base is narrower and the service sector is less developed

• Caring for the rural environment often carries a financial costfinancial cost



EU has a common rural development policy p p y(2007-2013)

• Places considerable control in the hands of• Places considerable control in the hands of individual Member States and regions

• Is funded partly from the central EU budget and partly from individual Member States' national or regional budgets

• Rural development policy has links to a number of other EU-level policies



Rural development policy approach

• Thematic

• Strategic

• Flexible

• Integrated



Rural development policy focuses on three themes ("thematic axes“)

• Improving the competitiveness of the agriculturalImproving the competitiveness of the agricultural and forestry sector

• Improving the environment and the countryside• Improving the environment and the countryside

• Improving the quality of life in rural areas and encouraging diversification of the rural economyencouraging diversification of the rural economy



Rural development policy - Strategic

• Council Regulation and Community strategic guidelines set EU-level priorities for rural development

• Each MS submits a national strategy plan and programmesp g

• MS and the Commission closely monitor and evaluate the results of strategies and programmesprogrammes



Rural development policy - Flexiblep p y

• Based on the principles of subsidiarity and partnershippartnership

• Flexibility in finding a balance between the sectoral dimension (i.e. agricultural restructuring) and the territorial dimensionrestructuring) and the territorial dimension (i.e. land management and the socio-economic development of rural areas)

• Menu of approximately 40 measures is available



Rural development policy - Integrated

• Demonstrated in its objectives, reflecting j , geconomic, environmental and social concerns for agriculture and the wider rural economy

• Same measures may contribute to several• Same measures may contribute to several objectives



In practical terms…

Four axes of rural development policy containing about 40 measures

• Improving the competitiveness of the agricultural and forestry sector

• Improving the environment and the countryside

• The quality of life in rural areas and diversification of the rural economydiversification of the rural economy

• Horizontal - the 'Leader approach' - acts as a way of implementing rural development policy


R lRural Development 2007-2013

LEADER Axis

Axis 2 Axis 3Axis 1 Axis 2 Environment

+ Land

Axis 3 Economic Diver.

+

Axis 1 Competi-tiveness

Management Quality of Life

Single set of programming and other rules

Single Rural Development Fund


In practical terms…

• 88 national or regional rural development programmes

Regional: 2 for Belgium, 5 for France, 14 for Germany, 21 for Italy, 3 for Portugal, 17 for Spain, 4 for the United Kingdomp g

• To help ensure a balanced approach, MS and regions obliged to spread their rural development funding between the three axesfunding between the three axes


The use of forestry and/or bioenergy related measures in 88 RD y gyprogrammes

8069

4350

6964 66

60

71

50

60

70

80

ogra

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es

43

17

41 40

17

41

15

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2320

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40

50

umbe

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10 8 5

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114

115

121

122

123

124

125

221

222

223

224

225

226

227

311

312

313

321

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eader

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Measure codes

Framework for assistance to pre-accession countries

Similar, but simplified…

• Legal framework

Fi i l i i• Financial provisions



• IPA - Integrated Pre-Accession Instrument to assist candidate and potential candidate countriescandidate countries

• It replaces 5 different programmes and instruments: PHARE ISPA SAPARD CARDSinstruments: PHARE, ISPA, SAPARD, CARDS and Turkey pre-accession instruments

• Financial envelope allocated for the pperiod 2007–2013 – EUR 10.2 billion



1.Transition Assistance &

Institution Building

2 Cross Border Cooperation

Candidate and potential candidate

t i2. Cross-Border Cooperation countries

3. Regional Development

4. Human Resources Development Only candidate p

5. Rural Development (IPARD)countries



Rural development component

• To prepare countries for the implementation and management of the CAP

• Contribute to the sustainable adaptation of the agricultural sector and ruralof the agricultural sector and rural areas

• Three “axes”

• 9 “measures”



Axis 1 – Improving market efficiency and implementation of Community standards

• Investments in agricultural holdings to restructure and to upgrade to Community standards

• Support for the setting-up of producer groupsSupport for the setting up of producer groups

• Investments in the processing and marketing of agriculture and fishery products to restructure those activities and to upgrade them to Communitythose activities and to upgrade them to Community standards



Axis 2 – Preparatory actions for implementation of the agri-environmental measures and local rural development p

strategies

• Actions to improve the environment and theActions to improve the environment and the countryside

• Preparation and implementation of local rural development strategiesdevelopment strategies



Axis 3 – Development of the rural economy

• Improvement and development of rural infrastructure

• Diversification and development of rural economic activities

• Improvement of training• Improvement of training

• Technical assistance – preparation, p p ,monitoring, evaluation, information and control activities for the implementation of the programme



Stabilisation and Association ProcessKey policy framework for EU relations with y p y

the Western Balkans

Stabilisation and Association Agreementsl i hi b h d hRepresents relationship between the EU and each

Western Balkan country, entailing mutual rights and obligations

Framework AgreementsGeneral rules for cooperation concerning EC

financial assistance to the beneficiary countriesy

Sectoral Agreements



Sectoral Agreement

• Complements the Framework Agreement

• Only for IPARDOnly for IPARD

• Includes provisions for fully decentralised management

• Provides detailed rules for the implementation of the rural development programmes under decentralised management after conferral of

t t th b fi i t 'management to the beneficiary country's authorities

• To be concluded with each candidate country



Multi-annual Financing Agreement

• Legal commitment of the Commission in the senseLegal commitment of the Commission in the sense of the financial regulation

• Has to be concluded with each candidate country



Multi-annual Indicative Financial Framework (MIFF)establishes the financial allocation betweenestablishes the financial allocation between

countries and components

Multi-annual Indicative Planning Document (MIPD)Multi-annual Indicative Planning Document (MIPD)establishes strategies for each country for the

IPA components

Components for specific programming

Transition Transition & Institution& Institution

BuildingBuilding

Regional &Regional &CrossCross--BorderBorder

CoCo--opop

RegionalRegionalDevelopmentDevelopment

Human Human ResourcesResources

DevelopmentDevelopment

Rural Rural DevelopmentDevelopment


DevelopmentDevelopment

St k h ldSt k h ld

IPARD structureIPARD structureLocalLocal

partnerspartners

StakeholdersStakeholders

IPARDIPARD••StrategyStrategyStrategyStrategy••ProgramProgram

FinancialFinancialsectorsector

OtherOtherdonorsdonors



Before implementation of IPARD can start:Before implementation of IPARD can start:

• Framework Agreement must be concluded

• S t l A t t b l d d• Sectoral Agreement must be concluded

• Programme must be adopted

• Conferral of management decision must be adopted

Before financial execution can start:Before financial execution can start:

• Multi-Annual Financing Agreement must be concluded

29Western Balkans Forum 26-29 January, Kosovo 2929

IPARD structures

European CommissionCompetent Accrediting

Audit Authority

IPA Monitoring Committee

gOfficer

National IPA Coordinator

National Authorising OfficerIPARD

Monitoring

Committee

reporting

audit, controlmanagement and

IPARD Agency Delegated BodiesManaging Authority

National Fundg

Committeeg

control system (MCS)

F I N A L B E N E F I C I A R I E S T h i l B di

Internal Audit Regional Offices

F I N A L B E N E F I C I A R I E S Technical Bodies

30

Candidate countries – Croatia, Turkey and ythe former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

Potential candidate countries – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina Montenegro SerbiaBosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and Kosovo under UN Security Council Resolution 1244

State of play

Our role and objectives

• Financial assistance for contributing to a sustainable development of the farming and

l d l t t t f th did trural development structures of the candidate countries

• Ensure that candidate countries’ institutions d t it t t t tand management capacity are set-up to start

implementation of IPARD• Support administrations in candidate countries

t f th i l t ti f ito prepare for the implementation of agri-environmental measures and local rural development strategies


State of play

Lessons learnt from SAPARD

• Preparation for implementation takes up to 3 years

• Conferral granted within 16-34 months of the start of eligibility for assistance

• Programme implementation (first projects) starts 6-9 months after conferral of management

• Difficulties in focusing programmes on real needs – too many measures


State of play

Croatia FYROM TurkeyCroatia, FYROM, Turkey

• Programmes adopted in February 2008• Financial allocations in Multi-annualFinancial allocations in Multi annual

Indicative Planning Document and Multi-annual Indicative Financial Framework made

• Sectoral agreements signed with Croatia andSectoral agreements signed with Croatia and FYROM, in process with Turkey

• Accreditation and conferral of management decision expected in 2009 or 2010dec s o e pected 009 o 0 0


State of play

Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and Kosovo under UN Security Council Resolution 1244Security Council Resolution 1244

• Institutional and management capacity building to start implementation of IPARD –IPA Component I


Summaryy




Thank you for your attention


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