Brussels, 24/07/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 24 July, the European Commission approved the rural development programme of Wallonia (Belgium), with a total envelope of €650 million in public funding over the period 2014-2020.
The EU budget will contribute €264 million. The Walloon programme lays great emphasis on matters related to the environment and ecosystems. A plank related to competitiveness and innovation including, amongst other things, support to young farmers, is also included. This week's approval of the Walloon programme, following those of Lombardy (Italy) and Cantabria (Spain), brings the number of programmes adopted to date to 59, out of a total of 118.
This means that the Commission has approved half of the rural development programmes, covering two thirds of the budget (€63.8 billion, or 64.1%). The adoption process has now been concluded in 20 member states. (Lionel Changeur)