16/12/2021 (Agence Europe) – Poverty and land abandonment would be more pronounced in the absence of common agricultural policy (CAP) measures, but the administrative burden limits the efficiency of CAP support in rural areas: these are the conclusions of a document published on Wednesday 15 December by the European Commission assessing the impact of the CAP on the territorial development of rural areas. The evaluation finds that the excessive administration associated with applying the CAP support schemes, notably rural development measures, hinders the efficiency of the CAP. Furthermore, while direct payments are delivered with a relatively low administrative burden, they are not particularly targeted towards the social aspects of territorial development or the needs of vulnerable or socially excluded rural groups. More information at: https://bit.ly/3oX8AlU (LC)