Transcript Rural Development Regulation and Strategic Guideline Priorities

1
Rural Development
strategies
Rural Directors Conference
1st December 2005
Martin Nesbit
Conservation, Uplands and Rural Europe Division, Defra
2
The EU strategy
Mobile Library
South Downs ESA and AONB
Rural Development Regulation agreed under
Luxembourg presidency includes an important
innovation: EU strategy for Rural Development.
Strategic Guidelines should:
• Guide Member States in preparing national
strategies, which are turned into programmes;
• Makes the Commission’s task in assessing
strategies and programmes more transparent;
• Makes clear how Rural Development policy
contributes to broader EU priorities;
• Helps ensure rural development spending
contributes effectively to added value at EU level;
• Ensures coherence between instruments; and
• Reinforces the case for rural development
spending within the overall CAP budget
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Rural Development Regulation and
Strategic Guideline Priorities
Axis I
“improving
competitiveness
through restructuring”
A
X
II
I Axis
“improving the
&
S environment
countryside through land
management
Knowledge Transfer,
modernisation,
innovation in the food
chain
Environmental
Objectives: Biodiversity,
water, climate change
IV Axis III
“improving quality
of life through
diversification of
economic activity”
Creation of employment
opportunities
4
Axis 1: Improving the competitiveness of the
agricultural and forestry sectors
Community Strategic Guideline
“Europe's agriculture, forestry and its food processing sector have
great potential to further develop high quality and value added
products that meet the diverse and growing demand of Europe's
consumers and world markets.
The resources devoted to axis 1 should contribute to a strong and
dynamic European agrifood sector by focusing on the priorities
of knowledge transfer, modernisation, innovation, and quality in
the food chain and priority sectors for investment in physical and
human capital. ”
5
Rural Development Regulation and
Strategic Guideline Priorities
Axis I
“improving
competitiveness
through restructuring”
A
X
II
I Axis
“improving the
&
S environment
countryside through land
management
Knowledge Transfer,
modernisation,
innovation in the food
chain
Environmental
Objectives: Biodiversity,
water, climate change
IV Axis III
“improving quality
of life through
diversification of
economic activity”
Creation of employment
opportunities
6
Axis 2: Improving the environment and countryside
Community Strategic Guideline
“To protect and enhance the EU's natural resources and landscapes in
rural areas, the resources devoted to axis 2 should contribute to three
EU level priority areas:
biodiversity, and preservation and development of high nature
value farming and forestry systems and traditional agricultural
landscapes,
water,
and climate change.
The measures available under axis 2 should be used to integrate these
environmental objectives and contribute to the implementation of the
agricultural and forestry Natura 2000 network, to the Göteborg
commitment to reverse biodiversity decline by 2010, to the Water
Framework Directive objectives and to the Kyoto Protocol targets for
climate change mitigation. ”
7
Rural Development Regulation and
Strategic Guideline Priorities
Axis I
“improving
competitiveness
through restructuring”
A
X
II
I Axis
“improving the
&
S environment
countryside through land
management
Knowledge Transfer,
modernisation,
innovation in the food
chain
Environmental
Objectives: Biodiversity,
water, climate change
IV Axis III
“improving quality
of life through
diversification of
economic activity”
Creation of employment
opportunities
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Axis 3: Improving the quality of life in rural areas
and encouraging diversification
Community Strategic Guideline
“The resources devoted to the fields of diversification of the rural
economy and quality of life in rural areas under axis 3 should
contribute to the overarching priority of the creation of
employment opportunities and conditions for growth. The
range of measures available under axis 3 should in particular be
used to promote capacity building, skills acquisition and
organisation for local strategy development and also help
ensure that rural areas remain attractive for future generations.
In promoting training, information and entrepreneurship, the
particular needs of women, young people and older workers
should be considered. ”
9
Rural Development Regulation and
Strategic Guideline Priorities
Axis I
“improving
competitiveness
through restructuring”
A
X
II
I Axis
“improving the
&
S environment
countryside through land
management
Knowledge Transfer,
modernisation,
innovation in the food
chain
Environmental
Objectives: Biodiversity,
water, climate change
IV Axis III
“improving quality
of life through
diversification of
economic activity”
Creation of employment
opportunities
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Axis 4: Building Local Capacity for Employment and
Diversification
Community Strategic Guideline
“The resources devoted to axis 4 (Leader) should
contribute to the priorities of axis 1 and 2 and in
particular of axis 3, but also play an important role in
the horizontal priority of improving governance
and mobilising the endogenous development
potential of rural areas. ”
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Translating to a national context
• Key considerations for MS are that they meet EU
level requirements while addressing local needs.
• Involves:
(1) cooperation with regional/local government
structures and Government delivery bodies
(2) consultation with other Ministries – in UK combined
agriculture + environment department makes this
aspect easier, but discussion with Structural Funds
authorities also vital
(3) Consultation with civil society – particularly sectors
concerned, NGOs, and local community groups
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Coherence with national level rural
policy
• Key aspect of the CSG is ensuring coherence with
other EU instruments
• But national strategies must also ensure coherence
with national rural policy; EU guidelines need to
recognise diversity of situations
• In England, national policies which must be taken
into account include:
– Rural Strategy 2004,
– Sustainable Development Strategy of 2005
– Sustainable Farming and Food Strategy of 2002
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Developing National Programmes
In September a RD 2007 Policy Advisory Group was
established. Group includes:
- heads of relevant Defra policy units
- delivery bodies (Regional Development Agencies,
Natural England, Forestry Commission);
- Environment Agency, industry representatives,
regional and local government
-.
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Setting the direction
Ministers (England) have confirmed following adoption of Rural
Development Regulation, and on the basis of emerging Strategic
Guidelines, that they want a strategy centred on:
-Environmental Stewardship approach, devoting bulk of
resources to axis 2, and integrating measures as much as
possible (e.g. agri-environment, Less favoured area, and
forestry expenditure aligned);
-Axes 1 and 3 (and axis 4) to be delivered by Regional
Development Agencies, alongside mainstream regional
development funding, with emphasis on knowledge transfer,
training and innovation.
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Consulting the public
Officials are now working on the basis of the
initial steer from Ministers to produce a
‘proto-strategy’, discussed in the Policy
Advisory Group, which will form the basis for
public consultation (probably beginning in
January).
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After consulting
Following consultations in England, Scotland,
Wales and Northern Ireland the National Strategy
Plan will be produce – we hope in March/April.
Programme developed in parallel in consultation
with bodies on Policy Advisory Group.
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Summary
EU strategy
Provides clear direction for
rural development policy
The national context
Ensuring coherence with
national policy; analysing
regional and local priorities
Strategy and process
developed through close
cooperation with
stakeholders in government
and wider
The process