(30 October 2013) – The European Commission published today its latest Agricultural Brief on the financial implementation of rural development funding, which amounted to € 96.3 billion – roughly 20% of the Common Agricultural Policy’s total budget – between 2007 and 2013.
Rural development funds were split between three axes: 33% for improving the competitiveness of agriculture and forestry (“Axis 1”), 45% for the environment and the countryside (“Axis 2”) and 13% for improving the quality of life in rural areas and encouraging the diversification of economic activity (“Axis 3”).
The Brief provides an overview of the policy background and financial implementation of rural development programmes in the EU and in candidate countries, while also highlighting factors influencing programme implementation.
According to the Commission, rural development funds are a highly flexible tool offering a wide range of options for targeted solutions to the diversity of challenges faced by rural areas in the 28 EU Member States.