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Farmers who want to give their opinions on the effectiveness of the many rural development programmes that were funded from the Common Agricultural Policy budget for the period 2007 to 2013 are invited to make a submission to the European Commission.
A public consultation has been launched by the European Commission on the last RDP, with the aim to assess what worked and what did not during this period in order to improve rural development programming in the future.
Among the questions asked are whether respondents believe that rural development programmes have improved the competitiveness of agriculture and forestry, contributed to improving the environment and the countryside, as well as improving the quality of life in rural areas and helping to diversify the rural economy.
Respondents are also asked if they consider rural development programmes to offer value for money.
Future policies
The European Commission will put forward new legal proposals for improving EU food and farming later this year, drawing on its recent communication and on the results of ongoing assessments of the impact of various potential policy options.
The results of this public consultation will also feed into the process and help inform future policy proposals.
IFA rural development chair Joe Brady today welcomed the public consultation and said the IFA will be making a detailed submission to ensure that, in future, the RDP plays a much more effective role in addressing the economic, social and environmental concerns of farmers.
“Full restoration of cutbacks to the Pillar II budget in the current programme and ensuring that member states are allowed to provide a high level of co-financing will be priorities,” he said.
The IFA will be seeking better environmental schemes, higher payments to farmers with designated land, an increased budget for ANCs and a strong farm investment scheme.
Brady said: “Pillar II of CAP is a vital support to complement Pillar I, with a strong emphasis on the regions of the country that require additional direct support to maintain populations and to create much-needed employment.”
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