Brussels, 04/02/2014 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has called on member states to prioritise simplicity when drawing up their rural development programmes (RDPs) for 2014-2020.
At a seminar organised by the European Rural Development Network on 29 January, European Commissioner for Agriculture Dacian Ciolos warned RDP authorities to avoid any temptations to design intricate programmes that addressed specific needs of many individual stakeholders and encouraged member states to develop new simplified instruments for accessing funding.
After formal adoption of the new common agricultural policy (CAP), the national authorities have until 1 May to send the European Commission their partnership agreements (documents detailing strategies, priorities and provisions on use of funds). After the Commission's adoption of the partnership agreements, member states will have three months to send the Commission their rural development programmes. In total, 117 programmes are currently being prepared.
Under the new CAP, member states are obliged, in drawing up their programmes, to take into account at least four of the EU six priorities. Measures will no longer be classified “strands” at European level, with each strand having a minimum spending requirement. It will be up to the member states themselves to decide on the measures they wish to implement to achieve the priority objectives. (LC/transl.fl)