CAP: Rural development post 2013
What are the changes to rural development policy?
Rural development policy has been restructured to increase its effectiveness. Closer links with the EU's Structural and Investment Funds will allow EU funds from several sources, co-financed by member states, to support a wide variety of innovative projects ranging from combined agriculture and aquaculture farms to the extension of broadband infrastructure.
Under rural development policy, member states will continue to design their own programmes in response to the needs of their own rural areas.
They will have even more flexibility, as the current system will be replaced by a set of priorities, including innovation. This priority will be supported by measures such as:
- knowledge transfer, cooperation and investments in physical assets
- resource efficiency, productivity and the low-emission and climate-friendly resilient development of agriculture and forestry
- cooperation between agriculture and research in order to accelerate the transfer of technology to farmers.
These measures link the CAP to the EU's strategy for growth and jobs - the Europe 2020 strategy - with its focus on training, innovation and research.
The measures relating to the environment and climate have been strengthened. Implementation remains compulsory, and at least 30% of the total rural development budget must be reserved for environmental measures and climate change adaptation and mitigation, including in both the agriculture and forestry sectors.
Double funding for greening under both pillars has been excluded, ensuring that farmers will not be paid twice for the same activity.
Areas with natural constraints will be redefined on the basis of 8 biophysical criteria, creating a uniform and objective system across the EU.
The rate of fund contribution has been adjusted to take into account the different financial situations across regions. The reform provides for higher co-financing rates for less developed regions.