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Seminar on "Successful implementation of RDPs"

Seminars and Conferences

Seminar on "Successful implementation of RDPs"
Brussels, Belgium: 29 January 2014

The 2014-2020 programming period is already here! The first ENRD seminar of the new programming period was held in Brussels on the 29th of January 2014 and offered rural development stakeholders an opportunity to exchange experiences and views on how to come to a good implementation of the new programmes.

Brief Summary

The seminar brought together rural development administrators and organisations around Europe to reflect and exchange on the conditions for an effective and efficient implementation of the 2014-2020 rural development programmes (RDPs).

The scope of this seminar was be to provide guidance and reference points on a range of implementation issues, with a particular focus on new elements of the policy. Through three parallel workshops in interactive format, experiences from the EU Member States were brought together on different specific topics and on horizontal implementation issues.

The programme of the seminar can be found under the ‘Documentation” section.

For more details please see the seminar’s report:

Final report of the ENRD Seminar on Successful implementation of RPDs 2014-2020 [PDF ]
Workshop 1 on Cooperation, Knowledge Transfer and Innovation [PDF ]
Workshop 2 on Environment and Climate issues [PDF ]
Workshop 3 on Territorial Approaches for development [PDF ]

Summary

Simplicity, complementarity, cooperation and consultation were identified as the key success factors for successful implementation of Rural Development Programmes (RDP) at a high profile seminar organised by the ENRD in Brussels on 29 January 2014.

Other programming priorities for regional and national authorities finalising their RDPs include:

ensuring that cross-cutting priorities - such as innovation, climate action and environment protection - are fully reflected in the programmes;
actively seeking out programme complementarity with Pillar 1 and ESI fund opportunities;
improving the targeting of funds through robust selection criteria, which maximise and increase the visibility of RDP results;
operating sound and verifiable financial management systems; and
preparing and adopting effective action plans for reducing risks of error rates.

The ENRD seminar built on previous support provided to Member States in the RDP programming process. With some 117 new RDPs expected for the 2014-2020 programming period, the event provided timely support to the rural development community. Designed to provide an opportunity for peer-to-peer learning and knowledge exchange between Member State authorities regarding their programming experience, the well-attended ENRD seminar also saw the European Commission provide targeted advice that will help Member States to prepare and implement successful RDPs.

Key conclusions from the workshops

Innovation, environmental sustainability, climate action and territorial development were the main areas of discussion at the event. These topics were further explored by delegates during a useful series of workshop sessions, which led to the following conclusions.

- Workshop 1: Knowledge transfer and innovation

Identifying the real needs of farmers, establishing clear objectives and translating them in coherent selection criteria and emphasising dissemination of the results are key factors for successful implementation.
Financial instruments are available under the new RDPs to reduce exposure to market risk and to help complete the innovation cycle.
National Rural Networks can play a key role in ideas generation, partner search facility, initiating and facilitating knowledge-transfer events and in linking research practitioners, farmers and agri-businesses.

- Workshop 2: Environmental and climate action

In order to achieve the overarching objective of the CAP – to enhance the environmental performance of EU agriculture - it is vital to make best use of the measures available under both CAP Pillars in a complementary and mutually reinforcing way.
The reform offers new tools, such as the cooperation measure, which provide innovative ways of delivering improved environmental outcomes in a more efficient manner. Different kinds of measures may be integrated:
- By way of example mixing: investments; environmental land management (including AEC, organic farming, ANC, Natura2000 and WFD, forestry); knowledge transfer and innovation; and cooperation measures.
Collective, territorial and landscape approaches are being explored for a more effective delivery of public goods. Needs assessment and sound monitoring and evaluation are crucial to ensure that the desired outcomes are produced and noticeable.
Climate change adaptation and mitigation is a cross-cutting objective – agri-environment and climate measures are not the only measures to be used in this regard. The full range of rural development measures, in addition to cross-compliance and Pillar 1 greening can be used to address climate challenges.

- Workshop 3: Territorial approaches

Cooperation and communication between stakeholders on policy matters help to harmonise priorities and strategies for territorial intervention.
The flexibility introduced within the RDP measure for cooperation provides scope for involving new stakeholders in rural development initiatives.
The bottom-up approach and cooperation support has great potential - not only for increasing rural development inclusivity but also for securing a wider range of benefits for rural citizens.
Coordinated intervention, informal cooperation through networking and the use of simplified administrative procedures will improve delivery by limiting the burdens on potential EAFRD beneficiaries.

Commissioner’s intervention

Speaking at the seminar, Dacian Cioloş, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development noted that, “this is an important moment for the preparation of Rural Development Programmes since now is the time for translating the new policy into successful practical instruments.” He stressed the need for the final stages of the programming process to involve all stakeholders. This will help to safeguard widespread support and ownership of the programmes as well as to facilitate essential complementarity between the RDPs and other support that is being delivered in rural areas.

Commissioner Cioloş highlighted the multiple benefits that can be gained by setting simplicity as a goal for RDP programming. He encouraged RDP authorities to avoid any temptations to design intricate programmes that addressed specific needs of many individual stakeholders. More efficient, rapid, and inclusive implementation processes can be ensured by RDPs that make use of the new simplified tools to provide access to funding, such as standard costs and lump sums.

Particular emphasis was placed on ensuring complementarity between RDP support and Pillar 1 payments from the CAP. 'Greening', new entrants (young farmers) and smallholdings were all noted as areas where complementarity between the CAP Pillars can result in real synergies for beneficiaries.

Complementarity between the EAFRD, other EU Funds, and national initiatives were also highlighted. Special attention was paid by the Commissioner to encourage improved linkages between EU funding for regional and rural development. Many opportunities for integrated approaches were foreseen, such as strengthening linkages between urban and rural areas and efforts to support the cross-cutting priorities of innovation, environment and climate action.

Increasing the visibility of results is another essential aim for each of the new RDPs and the Commissioner reiterated this, stating that clearly visible results are needed in order to safeguard positive prospects for rural development policy in the long term.

Seminars and Conferences

Brief Summary

Agenda [PDF ]

To download the presentations of the seminar click here

General background documents

Other reference material

For more details please see the seminar’s report:

Summary

Key conclusions from the workshops

Commissioner’s intervention