Environment
Climate change
Introduction
Climate change presents both threats and opportunities to the agricultural, forestry and rural sectors of Europe. Click here for further information on climate change and agriculture.
Rural development programmes (RDPs) at regional and national level are providing important support in helping to address both the causes and consequences of climate change. Prior to the CAP Health Check and the European Economic Recovery Plan (EERP) in 2008, the original RDPs for the 2007-13 programme period included a wide range of measures which directly and indirectly benefited the three main dimensions of climate action – mitigation, adaptation and renewable energy.
The allocation of additional financial resources to climate actions arising from the CAP Health Check and EERP, and the subsequent amendment of RDPs, will contribute to further reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from European agriculture. The budget boost will also increase rural Europe’s capacity to cope with the impacts of climate change.
A screening exercise was undertaken by the ENRD in 2010 to identify how the issue of climate change is being tackled in the RDPs at Member State level. The results from this screening exercise are available below as summary sheets for each Member State.
A synthesis report for all EU27 Member States is also available.