Modification of IPARD –Agriculture and Rural Development Plan, after the encounter of Croatian LAGs with the representatives of the European Commission / DG AGRI
At the beginning of December 2011 a group of members of the Croatian Rural Development Network – HMRR, consisting mainly of LAG and future LAG members, took part at a 5-day study tour to Brussels and rural Holland.
The tour was organised by ODRAZ and HMRR in collaboration with the Paul Kosterink, representing the Dutch project partner, within the project “Together for sustainable development in Croatia”.
Modification of IPARD Programme as a result of meeting between the Croatian LAG representatives with the EC representatives in Brussels
In Brussels the group met the representatives of:
- Mission of the Republic of Croatia to the EU
- CEE Bankwatch Network and Friends of the Earth Europe representing the Coalition for sustainable EU funds (http://www.coalition-on-eufunds.org/; http://bankwatch.org/; http://www.foeeurope.org/)
- DG AGRI /European Commission (http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/agriculture/) i
- Europan LEADER Network for Rural development ELARD (http://www.elard.eu/).
In their evaluation the group members estimated the 2.5 hour meeting with five European Commission representatives as the most interesting and productive one. The meeting, organised by Anna Nowak – Programme Manager – Croatia, unit G4 “Pre-accession assistance to agriculture and rural development”, was also assisted by Pedro Brosei and Gyorgy Mudri – Policy Officers, unit G1 “Consistency of rural development”; Tue Rasmussen Fosdal – Programme Manager – EU policies, unit E3 “Rural Development programmes” – unit for the future Croatian RD programme and Judit Torok from the European Network for rural Development – ENRD.
The Commission representatives enlightened the proposed changes in the policy of rural development in the new programming period 2014-2020 stressing the issue of LEADER implementation. The common approach for all policies as set out in the proposed provisions for 2014-2020 would enable member states and LAGs to coordinate the integrated use of all Common Strategic Framework (CFS)Funds – EAFRD, ERDF, ESF, EMFF.
The Croatian participants were impressed by friendly attitude of the Commission representatives and their familiarity with the situation in rural Croatia. They had opportunities to expose their opinions, expectations and concerns and to ask questions, mainly regarding the conditions and start of LEADER implementation under IPARD. They stressed the fact that the national administration tends to make the rules stricter than for the EU member states and, in the same time, leaves the founded LAGs and those in formation without any support. The local self-government units are weak and the potential of LAGs remains unnoticed at present. The criteria of at least one member of the managing board younger than 25 is not easy to comply with in rural areas with bad demographic conditions.
The Commission team found the discussion constructive and informative. They decided to sooth the requirement “at least one member should be under 25 year” in the current modification of IPARD Programme.