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DRAFT RURAL DEVELOPMENT REGULATION
ANALYSIS OF RESPONSES TO CONSULTATION
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION
The European Commission published its draft Council Regulation on support for rural development on 15 July 2004. Once agreed this Regulation will determine rural development spending from 2007 to 2013. It will replace the current Council Regulation 1257/1999 which expires at the end of 2006. The existing regulation is currently implemented in Scotland through the schemes of the Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP).
In summary the draft regulation proposed;
The establishment of a separate fund, the European Agricultural Fund for rural development (EAFRD), separate from the normal CAP mechanisms, with simpler financial rules, and which includes EAGGF Guidance;
A requirement for European and national strategy documents;
Three priority axes for spending (improving the competitiveness of the agricultural and forestry sector; land management (including animal welfare); and diversification of the rural economy and the quality of life in rural areas, with detailed measures under each axis;
A requirement that a minimum of 25% of community support for each rural development programme is spent on axis 11 (land management), and that a minimum of 15% is committed to each of the other two axes;
LEADER to be 'mainstreamed' within the rural development regulation and a minimum of 7% of funding for LEADER (funding for local action groups in rural communities) within rural development programmes;
A mechanism for revising the designation of Less Favoured Areas (LFAs);
The creation of a 'European Observatory of Rural Territories' to collect and disseminate information and best practice.
SEERAD started working with other Scottish Executive Departments and other UK Government Departments to develop an agreed UK negotiating position on the regulation. In order to ensure the arrangements for 2007 to 2013 were acceptable to Scottish producers and landowners this consultation was launched. The launch took place at Dunblane Hydro on 9 September. Because of very tight timescales the consultation period was restricted to nine weeks. A list of the stakeholder organisations contacted directly is attached at Annex A, but this list was not exclusive and views were welcomed from all interested parties.
Because of pressure exerted by the Dutch EU Presidency the agreed negotiating position had to be reached in stages as work progressed. Working Group meetings were held in Brussels to discuss the key priorities and stakeholders' views were sought and fed in accordingly at appropriate points. For the purposes of this analysis the priorities set out in the consultation document have been retained.
Articles 1-18, General strategy and programming
Articles 19-33, Axis 1 (competitiveness)
Articles 34-48, Axis 11 (land management)
Articles 49-59, Axis 111 (diversification)
Articles 60-66, the LEADER approach
Articles 67-99, Evaluation, monitoring and financial management
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