Klub ELS-ED v EP: Evropský parlament zabezpečuje budoucnost venkovských oblastí

"A policy for the rural area is a policy for all citizens. Our society needs a lively and livable rural area. Today's adoption of my report on the future of the rural development with such a broad majority thus not only pleases me personally - it is an important political signal for a sustainable future of our rural areas throughout Europe", said EPP-ED Member Agnes Schierhuber, Parliament's rapporteur on the future of the rural development. After hard negotiations with all political groups Schierhuber secured a broad agreement between all groups which contains the most important concerns of the European agriculture and the whole rural area. "I am also very pleased that EU commissioner Mariann Fischer-Boel was quite open-minded and ready for compromises during yesterday's debate in plenary", said Schierhuber.

"No budgetary cuts at the expense of the rural areas: This is the main political signal Parliament today sends to Commission and Council in the framework of the debates on the future EU budgets. There is simply no way of having more Europe for less money“, underlined Agnes Schierhuber after the vote. The positive result for Europe's farmers shows the most clearly in the agreement on the Community's minimum financial contribution to each of the three objectives: At least 10% of the Fund’s total contribution to the programme shall cover the support for more competitiveness (priority axis I), whereas 20% of the Fund’s total contribution shall cover environment and land management (priority axis II). Finally, 8% of the Fund’s total contribution shall cover the priority axis III, which is the diversification of the rural economy. Concerning the LEADER programmes, Parliament wants a minimum contribution of 7%, scrapping at the same time the LEADER reserve funds as foreseen in the Commission proposal. The financing of the Natura 2000 programme out of the funds for rural development, as proposed by the Commission, can in principle be accepted by Schierhuber: "Farmers can live with this proposal, but only if adequate funds are earmarked accordingly."

"I wanted to stress two main points: On the one hand the existing EU programmes must be continued after 2007 without interruption. Farmers need planning stability and security to do their work. On the other hand the rural areas must be maintained and supported in all Europe as place where citizens can work and live. A flourishing and productive agriculture is the basic requirement for this goal", said Schierhuber.

Solidarity and subsidiarity are thus no empty buzzwords for the Austrian EPP-ED Member: "When defining our policy for the rural areas Member States need more room for manoeuvre. And especially those young people who wish to build their lives in the rural areas need our solidarity. Therefore I call for a better support for young farmers and for a better competitiveness for the companies marketing and processing agricultural products", underlined Schierhuber. An important success for the rapporteur was also the adoption of her call for a study by the Commission - as demanded by the European Court of Auditors - to define the concept of less-favoured areas. Until then, the current status quo should be maintained.

The policy for the rural areas on the other hand cannot and must not replace other already existing policies. Structural and cohesion funds must be further applied and used, as the rural development policy cannot solely bear the responsibility for achieving all these ambitious goals for the rural areas. "Our rural areas in Europa are important. They form an inseparable part of our continent and our society. Agriculture and the rural areas are interdependent", concluded Schierhuber.