The european funds for rural development: a new financial framework for a renovated policy

Abstract

The preparation of the rural development programme over the period 2007-2013 fits certainly in the continuity of preexistent rural policies, but is accompanied by several strong evolutions of the context: reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, creation of the FEADER and integration of ten new Member States in the European Union, legislative recognition of the new functions of the rural areas and reinforcement of decentralization in France. From the three objectives for the rural development fixed at the European level (competitiveness of agriculture and sylviculture, improvement of the environment, diversification of the rural activities), a wide conducted consultation at the national level allowed to lead to a shared strategic vision and to prepare the choices which will structure the future program. A strong territorialisation of the management, a concentration of the means on a tightened number of objectives and actions, a simplification and a harmonization of the details of the execution should contribute to the legibility and the effectiveness of the unit.