The European Parliament’s Rural Development Committee has voted on the last proposals from Member States/regions for using EU Recovery Plan and CAP Health Check funding and other transfers within the CAP to address issues including the economic and dairy crisis, and climate change.

In the period October 2009 – January 2010, all rural development programmes were modified and the additional funding of about €5 billion is now ready to be invested in agriculture, the environment and broadband in rural areas. The majority of the funds will be concentrated in the areas of bio-diversity (31.2% of all funds, or €1.5 billion) and water management (26.9% or €1.3 billion). Dairy restructuring received 14.5% of the total budget (€0.7 billion), climate change measures account for 14.2% (€0.7 billion), with renewable energy re-enforcement being 5.6% of the total additional budget (€0.3 billion). The development of broadband infrastructure remains an important policy issue for rural areas. Member States have thus decided to invest 35% of the EU Recovery funds for broadband, which equals €360.4 million out of the available €1 billion.

"The current economic and environmental situation demands action – in the countryside just as much as in our towns and cities," said Mariann Fischer Boel, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development. "We have been taking determined action at European level in many ways. The CAP Health Check and the European Economic Recovery Plan have both put new money on the table to help deal with pressing problems such as restructuring the dairy sector and fighting climate change. It’s up to Member States and regions to use this money wisely.”

The additional budget

In 2009, following the Health-Check of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and some transfers within the CAP, an additional budget of €3.9 billion was made available for Member States to spend on rural development issues. This budget has been complemented by an additional €1 billion coming from the EU Recovery plan, which also added the priority area of creation and upgrade of broadband in rural areas.

Monitoring the impact of the spending

Member States/regions will report annually on all spending under RDPs, along with its impact. As of 2010 this will also cover the additional funds injected into existing RDPs as a consequence of the CAP Health Check and the EERP.

Information on the Rural Development Programmes from the Member States is available at:

http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/rurdev/countries/index_en.htm