Brussels, 17/10/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 17 October 2008, the European Commission launched the European Rural Development Network at a conference in Limassol (Cyprus) on the subject of the second pillar of the common agricultural policy (CAP), rural development. The network comprises politicians, managers, academics and other key rural development players from the different member states and will facilitate the exchange of ideas, information and experience to help keep the EU's rural development policy fit for the demands of the 21st century.
EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Boel said: “Good policy runs partly on bright ideas, sound information and practical experience. The European Network for Rural Development will help us to share these things on a pan-European level. That will in turn help our rural development policy to deliver even better results on the ground - at a time when we're relying heavily on it to meet serious economic, environmental and social challenges.”
The EU's rural development policy has a crucial role to play in the rural areas of the 27 member states, which cover 91% of the EU's territory and are home to more than half of its population.
Many member states already operate national rural development networks, which help them with the implementation of schemes funded by the EU's rural development policy.
The conference in Cyprus includes five workshops on the topics of global competition, climate change, land management and public goods, the diversity of rural areas, and successful governance. http://www.aimgroup.eu/2008/cyprusagri/index.html (L.C./trans.fl)