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Scottish Rural Development Programme
29/01/2009
A rural expert has been appointed to undertake a review of the £1.6 billion Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP).
Peter Cook, an independent consultant and former head of rural business at the Scottish Agricultural College, will assist the Scottish Government and the SRDP Programme Monitoring Committee with a first stage review.
This review takes place before the full-scale review demanded of the Programme in 2010 and will take into account the impact of the economic downturn and the changing global agenda as well as identifying lessons to be learned following the first year of operation.
Speaking during a meeting of the Programme Monitoring Committee, Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, said:
"The SRDP is hugely valuable for rural Scotland in delivering environmental, economic and community benefits and I am keen that we are able to satisfy ourselves that the Programme's priorities are still as relevant today as they were when it was first considered over three years ago.
"Scotland is feeling the effects of the sharpest economic slowdown in years and we must ensure the SRDP does all it can to help the rural economy get through the tough times ahead.
"With the first year of the Programme's operation behind us we also have the opportunity to review and refine the delivery processes."
The first stage review will run for approximately three months and will consider to what extent:-
- The SRDP can assist in meeting the challenges of the economic downturn
- The priorities and objectives need changed
- The delivery mechanisms need changed
Under programme rules a mid-term evaluation of will take place in 2010. Countries can make one major and three minor modifications to schemes each year.
Over £190 million has been committed through the SRDP so far on new measures. Under the Rural Priorities Scheme alone 800 projects worth almost £60 million have been approved. This is in addition to over £300 million of commitments carried forward from the 2000-2006 Programme.
Peter Cook runs agricultural economics consultancy P & L Cook and Partners, of Aberdeen. He was head of the Rural Business Unit at the Scottish Agricultural College between 1995 and 2003, working as a senior business economist for the college between 1992 and 1995.
The SRDP Programme Monitoring Committee is a statutory requirement under the European Commission Rural Development Regulation (EC 1698/2005) and includes representatives from:
- Scottish Tenant Farmers Association
- Confederation of Forest Industries
- NFU Scotland
- Scottish Enterprise
- Environment - LINK
- Highlands & Islands Enterprise
- Scottish Council of Voluntary Organisations
- Scottish Crofting Foundation
- Convention of Scottish Local Authorities
- Scottish Rural Property and Business Association
- Scottish Government
- Forestry Commission Scotland
- European Commission
- Scottish Natural Heritage
- Scottish Environment Protection Agency