Preparing for the Future
The current experience of rural networking has been positive. It has offered a useful source of information, ideas, and contacts. It has supported numerous exchanges, cooperation, and knowledge development at both national and EU level. It has facilitated new dialogue for a better implementation of the policy - and it has encouraged a more participative governance of the policy. And all of this at a relatively low cost.
However, it has also been seen during the 2007-2013 programming period that building durable links between administrations, organisations and individual players takes time. Involving actors in new forms of dialogues requires dedicated human resources, well-adapted communication tools, and efficient organisational structures. Therefore, the progress made since the creation of the European Network for Rural Development (ENRD), the European Evaluation Network for Rural Development and the national rural networks (NRNs) in 2008 has to be continued and consolidated to get the most out of networking as a rural development policy tool.
Furthermore, the rural development policy is evolving towards an even more results-oriented policy, with more focus on common EU objectives and shared targets. The future rural development programmes will have to perform in very specific domains, such as the competitiveness of all types of agriculture, farm viability, the promotion of food chain organisation and risk management in agriculture, the restoration, preservation and enhancement of ecosystems, the efficient use of water and energy, the shift towards a low carbon and climate resilient economy, the promotion of social inclusion, poverty reduction and economic development in rural areas. They will also have to foster innovation and knowledge transfer in these fields. Some of these domains will be completely new for the ENRD and the NRNs.
These ambitious expectations will, even more than before, require good communication and coordination between the actors of the policy at all levels, as well as the capacity to demonstrate the results achieved. Networking will therefore remain a very important function with proposals to both extend and strengthen its role as a rural development policy tool.
