NEW INTENTIONS IN RURAL DEVELOPMENT POLICIES OF EUROPEAN UNION AND TURKEY

Abstract

There are several pre-accession instruments in rural development for new member countries in European Union (EU). In the past, The European Rural Development Fund (ERDF), The European Structural Fund (ESF) and The European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) were used for these purposes. Nowadays, The Poland and Hungary Assistance for Restructuring their Economies Programme (PHARE), The Special Accession Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development (SAPARD), and The Instrument for Structural Policies for Pre-Accession (ISPA) are aimed at the financial support of projects related to the agricultural and rural development. PHARE, SAPARD and ISPA are important programs that financed by the European Union to assist the applicant countries of Central and Eastern Europe in their preparations for joining the European Union. As a candidate country, pre-accession assistance is being provided to Turkey under a specific European Council Regulation. Currently, the pre-accession assistance programme is focusing its activities on two key areas: institution building and investment support.Keywords: European Union, Rural Development, Rural Development Policies, Turkey