The rural development policy in the EU and in France

Christian TOURNADRE2014/11/12

1. Rural development Policy 2014-2020

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1. Rural development Policy 2014-2020

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The 5 targets for the EU in 2020 (for memory)

• 1. Employment – 75% of the 20-64 year-olds to be employed

• 2. R&D  – 3% of the EU's GDP to be invested in R&D

• 3. Climate change and energy sustainability – greenhouse gas emissions 20% (or even 30%, if the

conditions are right) lower than 1990 – 20% of energy from renewables – 20% increase in energy efficiency

• 4. Education – Reducing the rates of early school leaving below 10% – at least 40% of 30-34–year-olds completing third level

education

• 5. Fighting poverty and social exclusion – at least 20 million fewer people in or at risk of poverty and

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1. Rural development Policy 2014-2020

• Rural development policy is declined through : - Common Strategic Framework – which intends to help Member States and

their regions in programming and setting clear investment priorities for the next financial planning period from 2014 until 2020.

– Partnership Agreement – The Partnership Agreement is a document

that defines a common strategic base for FESI. It is concluded between the Member State and the European Commission. It defines the main directions of the 2014-2020 programming, and determine the nature of the intervention of European funds on territories. 5

UE 2020

Common Strategic

Framework

Partnership Agreement

ERFD, ESF, EAFRD, …

1. Main reasons for implementing a rural

development policy in the EU

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• 28 Member States with over 56% of the population living in rural areas, which cover 91 % of the territory...

• => Rural development is a vitally important policy

• => Farming and forestry remain crucial for land use and the management of natural resources

• => An opportunity for economic diversification in rural communities

Main reasons for implementing a rural development policy in the EU

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• EU needs to achieve valuable goals for its countryside and for the people who live and work there.

• The EU's rural areas is a vital part of its identity.• Many of the rural areas face significant challenges.• Some of the farming and forestry businesses still need

to build their competitiveness.• Average income per head is lower in rural regions than

in our towns and cities.• Service sector in rural areas is less developed than in

urban areas.

Main reasons for implementing a rural development policy in the EU

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Main reasons for implementing a rural development policy in the EU

• European countryside has a great deal to offer :– raw materials for food consumption,– a place of beauty, rest and recreation,– useful for fighting against climate change,– attractive for living if people have access to adequate services

and infrastructure.

• The EU's Lisbon Strategy for jobs and growth, the Göteborg Strategy for sustainable development and the UE 2O2O are just as relevant to our countryside as to our towns and cities.

• The EU's rural development policy is all about meeting the challenges faced by our rural areas, and unlocking their potential.

2. Organization of rural development policy :French case study

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• 1 rural development programme for France’s mainland

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Organization of rural development policy :French case study

• Every Member State must set out a rural development programme, which specifies what funding will be spent on which measures for the period.

• National Strategy Plans must be based on EU Strategic Guidelines.

• This approach should help to:– identify the areas where the use of EU support for rural

development adds the most value at EU level;– make the link with the main EU priorities (for example, those

set out under the Lisbon and Göteborg agendas);– ensure consistency with other EU policies, in particular those

for economic cohesion and the environment.

1. Main challenges for rural areas highlighted by the RDP include:1. high unemployment rate,2. difficulties to export products,3. risk of agricultural decay in less-

favoured areas,4. Insufficient modernization of the

forestry sector, natural hazards (fires and storms),

5. low quality of water and insufficient protection of biodiversity,

6. a number of inequalities between regions and a risk of social segregation.

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Organization of rural development policy :French case study

• 2. On the other hand, strengths of rural areas include :1. an economically important

agricultural and foodstuff sector,2. a demographic renewal with a dense

tissue of service enterprises and numerous candidates to set up as farmers,

3. abundant forest and water resources, an important biodiversity,

4. a rich and diversified natural and cultural heritage and a general attractiveness.

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Organization of rural development policy :French case study

• French rural development policy main objective is to assist the rural area’s weaknesses by enhancing their strengths on an economic, social and environmental point of view:1. to develop a competitive economy and create jobs in

the primary sector (agriculture and forestry), secondary sector (in particular agro-food industries and forest industries) and tertiary sector (services and tourism);

2. to promote a territorial development by and for the populations and stakeholders of rural areas, taking into account their diversity as a whole as an asset, and ensuring a sustainable management of their cultural heritage;

3. to ensure a sustainable management of natural resources, in particular with regard to water and biodiversity.

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Organization of rural development policy :French case study

2. Organization of rural development policy: implementation at regional level in

Auvergne region

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Check for possible

actions and define an

action plan to reach the goals

Understand the weakness and strengths of the area and share a common vision of the area

Identify the issues to tackle and set-up the development goals for the area

Photograph the area

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5 Beneficiaries (farmers, companies, local

governments, NGOs) are eligible to receive funding

(if their projects are selected).

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About our region

• 26 013 km² • 1 342,000 inhabitants in

2008

• 52 Hab/km² in Auvergne (114 in France)

• 47 % of the territory has a density < 15 Hab/km²)

Lost 5400 Ha/year (3.6 % of the Agricultural surface in 10 years)

2/3 in mountain area 60% occupy by

agriculture

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About our farming system

• 23 700 Farms• -2,3 % /an since 2000• 91 Ha average surfaces (80 Ha in

France)

• ¾ raise cattle• Represent 8.5% of the employment of

the region (twice more than the national average)

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About our productions

Crop's Wheat (100 000 Ha) Corn for Seed

Meat produce with grassland : 497 000 Brood cowsMilk : 230 000 Dairy cows 1.1 billion litters 75% transformed in cheese

And pigs (273 000)

Our regional Strategy

• Our main goals– Increase the income of farmers and Agro Food Industry by

modernizing structures and diversify agricultural production– Means of compensation for disadvantaged areas – Improve the quality of our products and our environment– Increase the attractiveness of rural areas by maintaining services,

development of business and tourism– Involve territory by establishing a LEADER approach– Evaluation throughout the device to allow reorientation of the

measures if necessary

• Our main focus– To install young to ensure the renewal of generations– To modernize agriculture in particular in the areas of breeding– To diversify production and transform the farm products– To market farmer’s products directly to the consumers

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How to? ……. Action Plan

• Establishment of a dialogue between the different actors of territories

• Sharing strategy and means to implement to achieve the objectives

• Implementation of an action plan

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Our regional Strategy

• Presentation of examples in pictures

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