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Briefing – EU rural development policy: Impact, challenges and outlook – 08-07-2021
On 30 June 2021, the European Commission adopted a communication on its long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas. The communication identifies areas of action with a view to creating new momentum for the EU’s rural areas, while recognising their diversity. In recent decades, in many Member States rural areas have experienced depopulation. Such regions face a range of environmental and socio-economic challenges. These include, for example, lower income per capita, a higher percentage of the population at risk of poverty and social exclusion, a lack of access to basic infrastructure and services, and lower levels of access to fast broadband internet. The EU’s rural development policy has sought to help address these challenges. Evaluation evidence is emerging on the impact of the common agricultural policy (CAP) on the territorial development of the EU’s rural areas. Measures relating to village renewal and LEADER (Liaison entre Actions de Développement de l’Économie rurale) measures are considered to be well-targeted and relevant to local needs, although they represent a small proportion of CAP financing. Administrative burdens have been raised as an issue that can impact on the developmental process. Recommendations from this evaluation evidence point to the need for better integration of funding streams, the need to maintain a dialogue across the European structural funds, and all the implications this may have for the new CAP strategic plans. The Commission’s recommendations to Member States on their CAP strategic plans highlight a number of recurring themes relating to the employment, education and training needs of rural areas, including the need to address rural depopulation, promote generational renewal, improve connectivity, and address the role played by action taken at local level. The Commission’s communication on a long-term vision for rural areas includes provision for a ‘rural pact’ to engage actors at EU, national, rural and local levels and an EU rural action plan, setting out a range of initiatives and actionable projects. The vision and its supporting analyses will provide a framework for addressing the future of the EU’s rural areas.
Source : © European Union, 2021 – EP
Brussels official pressured Finnish parliament to accept EU stimulus package
As the Finnish parliament is set to have the required two-thirds majority to approve the EU’s stimulus package worth €750 million on Wednesday, a Brussels official has reportedly been pressuring Finland to approve the package, claiming that failure to approve…
Briefing – Application of the equal pay principle through pay transparency measures – 22-07-2021
This briefing provides an initial analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the impact assessment (IA) accompanying the Commission proposal for a directive aimed at strengthening the application of the principle of equal pay for equal work or work of equal value between men and women, enshrined in Article 119 of the Treaty of Rome. Following two negative opinions of the Regulatory Scrutiny Board and an exceptional third positive one, the IA provides a good problem definition. The IA coherently identifies the problem drivers and makes a compelling case for the consequences should situation remain unchanged. The options retained for assessment seem built around a pre-selected preferred option package. The analysis regarding the impact on SMEs appears to be insufficiently developed while the one on competitiveness is missing. The proposal includes all the measures presented in the IA’s preferred package as well as two extra measures which were suggested, but not explicitly included in the preferred package.
Source : © European Union, 2021 – EP
Slovak farmers concerned over lack of plan for agricultural subsidies
The largest Slovak agricultural association, the Slovak Agriculture and Food Chamber (SPKK), is has raised concerns that Agriculture Minister Ján Mičovský (Ordinary People Party – OĽaNO) may have failed to prepare a strategic plan under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP),…
Highlights – Fit for 2030, and the State of the Global Climate report: committee debates – Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
The Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety will discuss the ‘Fit for 2030’ package with Commission Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal, Frans Timmermans, on 14 July. The upcoming legislative package aims to align climate and energy policies with the new objectives of the European Climate Law. The Committee will also go over the latest World Meteorological Organisation report on the State of the Global Climate in 2020, with WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas.
Source : © European Union, 2021 – EP
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