European Agricultural Fund For Rural Development Research Articles

How can an agri-environmental scheme be designed for farmland bird protection, and what does it mean for the CAP 2023–2027?

Biodiversity loss is recognized as a major global threat. The European Commission has addressed this issue with vigour in its current strategy papers. Farmland birds, such as the lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), whose population has been rapidly declining in Germany, have been particularly affected. To date, the European Union has tried to tackle the problem of biodiversity loss mainly with voluntary agri-environmental schemes (AESs), which are financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). However, only a small fraction of agricultural land is enrolled in such programs. We identify the possible drivers and inhibitors of farmers’ acceptance of a potential AES that, if introduced, could contribute to lapwing conservation. Our analysis is based on a discrete choice experiment conducted with 252 arable farmers in Germany. The results suggest that scheme attributes tied with EAFRD compliance, i.e., a minimum participation period of five years and the nature of the relevant sanctions regime, reduce farmers’ potential acceptance of the proposed AES. Furthermore, farmers and farm characteristics have an influence on preferences for specific AES attributes. Finally, this article outlines how the identified weaknesses of AES may be addressed in the new “Green Architecture” of the Common Agricultural Policy 2023–2027.

Forest subsidy distribution in five European countries

Forest subsidies are widely used to achieve policy objectives aimed at maintaining and supporting the provision of the various ecosystem services provided by forests. In the European Union, an important instrument is the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) within the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), but countries also have national subsidy systems. In both cases, individual countries determine which objectives they want to achieve with the subsidy schemes and which measures are supported. In this comparative study, we investigate which forest-related measures are subsidized across Europe and which forest owners, representing a very heterogeneous group, are involved in the activities of the subsidy systems.We collected data on subsidies paid out for forest-related measures from Austria, Finland, Germany, Slovenia and Sweden from the EAFRD funding period 2014–2020 for a comparison of the funded activities. Further, we analysed how subsidies were distributed among private forest owners with forest holdings of different sizes by performing G-tests to compare the observed with the expected subsidies received by forest owners in the different size categories.The results show that through the flexibility given by the CAP for countries to adjust their subsidy programmes to the specific national needs, EAFRD funds and equivalent national subsidies are indeed used for a wide range of activities instead of only a few following one common European goal. Reflecting the different needs and various forest functions, the subsidized activities range from the more ecology-oriented “investment to increase resistance and the ecological value of forests” to the more management-oriented “purchase of new machinery and new equipment for forestry operations”.In all five countries, small-scale forest owners with holdings smaller than 200 ha are the largest owner group and manage a large share of the forest area in private hands (from 47% in Austria to 97% in Slovenia). However, especially owners of the smallest holdings (< 20 ha) rarely use the funding scheme of the EAFRD framework and thus receive a disproportionately low share of subsidies. There might be several reasons for this. Small-scale forest owners are generally less involved regarding policy issues (including subsidy schemes) than owners of larger forest holdings and may not be aware of all funding opportunities. In addition, the considerable effort to apply, including project preparation, administration and documentation may be perceived as a barrier.It became clear that the current subsidy systems of the countries focus on different forest policy objectives. Our study further revealed that the documentation of subsidy distribution is partly unclear and inconsistent across countries hampering European comparisons. However, understanding current subsidy distribution is urgently needed for increasing the effectiveness of subsidy systems to achieve European policy goals of vital multifunctional forests.

Evolution and antimicrobial resistance of enterococci isolated from Pecorino and goat cheese manufactured on-farm in an area facing constraints as per EU Regulation 1305/2013 in Umbria, Italy.

The latest EU regulation on geographical indications (EU Regulation No. 1151/2012) has introduced a set of new tools for the protection and enhancement of food products in rural areas, under the group name of optional quality term (OQT). The Commission Delegated EU Regulation, No. 665/2014, regulated the conditions for the use of the optional quality term mountain product (MP), to support the implementation of a mountain value chain. This new tool is aimed at promoting local development, maintaining the economic activities in mountain areas, and redistributing wealth, whilst, at the same time, promoting the territory. Pecorino and goat cheeses are typical Italian cheeses made usually with whole raw ewe’s or raw goat’s milk, without starter culture addition. In an attempt to characterize these productions, the aim of this study was to investigate the evolution of enterococci during the production and ripening of Pecorino cheese made in three different farms, located in Umbria, Italy in areas facing natural or other specific constraints as stipulated by Regulation 1305/2013 on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). Enterococci are enteric organisms which are commonly isolated from ewe and goat’s milk production in Umbria, Italy. Counts of enterococci in raw milk ranged from 1.75 for ovine milk to 3.62 for ewe milk and a marked reduction was observed after thermization especially in ovine milk. Out of 100 isolates, 69 were E. faecium, 23 E. durans, 8 E. faecalis and 2 E. casseliflavus and the distribution of species between farms and between samples showed a prevalence of E. faecium in ovine farms and E. durans in ewes farms, with an equal dis-tribution between samples. High percentages of susceptible isolates were found for amoxicil-lin/clavulanic acid, ampicillin, chloramphenicol, sulphamethoxazole, sulphamethoxazole/ trimethoprim, ticarcillin, vancomycin. A high prevalence of resistant strains (>30%) was ob-served for amikacin, ciprofloxacin, ceftriaxone, kanamycin, tetracycline. A comparison of this re-sults with those of previous works on similar dairy products revealed high levels of resistance to antimicrobials which needs to be addressed.

The role of local communities in the development of European Union rural areas

The purpose of this article is to present the results of the research on the role of local action groups (LAG) in the development of rural areas in the member states of the European Union (EU). The most important postulate of the investigation is the scientifi cally grounded and practice-tested statement that only by relying on rural communities it is possible to objectively determine the pressing problems that need to be solved within the boundaries of various rural areas. Moreover, with the help of rural population (especially its active part, youth, entrepreneurs, farmers) it is advisable to implement the social, economic, environmental projects developed there, in the positive results of which both rural residents and the state are interested. The scientific work uses analytical and review methods of analysis (including the discourse method), which (together with the widespread use of modern statistical information, reporting materials of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), the content of the relevant legislation) made it possible to formulate a number of practice-oriented conclusions. Most of them relate to the possibilities of European rural communities (institutionalized in a certain way) to solve such problems of the countryside as rising unemployment, limited fi nancing for rural development, reduced public investment in the development of rural areas, sequestration of state spending on the development of the social sphere within the boundaries of rural areas, poverty and social insulation. In general, the European experience of encouraging local participation in achieving the goals and priorities of rural development put forward by society through the support of the LEADER / CLLD initiatives under the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) not only has many positive consequences, but also includes time-tested practices, worthy of implementation in the modern conditions of the domestic environment.

The role of local communities in the development of European Union rural areas

The purpose of this article is to present the results of the research on the role of local action groups (LAG) in the development of rural areas in the member states of the European Union (EU). The most important postulate of the investigation is the scientifi cally grounded and practice-tested statement that only by relying on rural communities it is possible to objectively determine the pressing problems that need to be solved within the boundaries of various rural areas. Moreover, with the help of rural population (especially its active part, youth, entrepreneurs, farmers) it is advisable to implement the social, economic, environmental projects developed there, in the positive results of which both rural residents and the state are interested. The scientific work uses analytical and review methods of analysis (including the discourse method), which (together with the widespread use of modern statistical information, reporting materials of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), the content of the relevant legislation) made it possible to formulate a number of practice-oriented conclusions. Most of them relate to the possibilities of European rural communities (institutionalized in a certain way) to solve such problems of the countryside as rising unemployment, limited fi nancing for rural development, reduced public investment in the development of rural areas, sequestration of state spending on the development of the social sphere within the boundaries of rural areas, poverty and social insulation. In general, the European experience of encouraging local participation in achieving the goals and priorities of rural development put forward by society through the support of the LEADER / CLLD initiatives under the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) not only has many positive consequences, but also includes time-tested practices, worthy of implementation in the modern conditions of the domestic environment.

Territorial Analysis of the European Rural Development Funds (ERDF) as a Driving Factor of Ecological Agricultural Production

The Europe 2030 project identified the need to create a growth model that is based on a dynamic balance between economic, social, and environmental dimensions. This involves, among other objectives, redirecting the resources that are allocated to the Common Agricultural Plan (CAP) toward more ecological agriculture and livestock. In recent decades, two packages of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) approved funds for projects related to agriculture. This study carried out a regional evaluation of the effects on production and employment that were generated in the Spanish organic farming sector. For this, a methodology that is frequently used by researchers to analyze territorial differences was used, namely, the shift-share analysis. The main results showed important differences at the regional level in the production of crops. Likewise, constant shift and constant share analyses were used to forecast the evolution of the sector from the recent data. Pending the approval of the new EAFRD 2021–2030, the results obtained in this research allowed for the identification of the regions that showed a favorable evolution to change the agricultural model and to identify the projects that generated employment and ecological production in the sector.

Territorialization of Public Action and Mountain Pastoral Areas—Case Study of the Territorial Pastoral Plans of the Rhône-Alpes Region, France

Territorialization aims at improving the effectiveness of public action by adapting to local contexts and including a wide diversity of actors. In the 2000s, the French local authorities, with the support of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), launched more transversal and bottom-up policies on the development of mountain pastoral territories in order to counter national and European sectoral and top-down policies. This article focuses on the Territorial Pastoral Plans (TPPs), a policy of the Rhône-Alpes region, which funds projects defined collaboratively between multiple actors in pastoral territories. The objective is to shed the light on the implementation modalities of the TPPs, and to understand the strengths and weaknesses of this policy in terms of governance to respond to the sustainability challenges of the Rhône-Alpine pastoral territories. A document analysis was achieved and interviews were conducted with nine key actors from four pastoral territories. Results showed that awareness-raising and mediation projects are becoming increasingly important because of the growing conflicts linked to the multi-purpose use of these lands and to wolf predation. Moreover, the integration of environmental actors allows better consideration of ecology in projects. However, the current budgetary restrictions limit their capacity of action within the policy.

Aligning agri-environmental subsidies and environmental needs: a comparative analysis between the US and EU

The global recognition of modern agricultural practices’ impact on the environment has fuelled policy responses to ameliorate environmental degradation in agricultural landscapes. In the US and the EU, agri-environmental subsidies (AES) promote widespread adoption of sustainable practices by compensating farmers who voluntarily implement them on working farmland. Previous studies, however, have suggested limitations of their spatial targeting, with funds not allocated towards areas of the greatest environmental need. We analysed AES in the US and EU—specifically through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and selected measures of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD)—to identify if AES are going where they are most needed to achieve environmental goals, using a set of environmental need indicators, socio-economic variables moderating allocation patterns, and contextual variables describing agricultural systems. Using linear mixed models and linear models we explored the associations among AES allocation and these predictors at different scales. We found that higher AES spending was associated with areas of low soil organic carbon and high greenhouse gas emissions both in the US and EU, and nitrogen surplus in the EU. More so than successes, however, clear mismatches of funding and environmental need emerged—AES allocation did not successfully target areas of highest water stress, biodiversity loss, soil erosion, and nutrient runoff. Socio-economic and agricultural context variables may explain some of these mismatches; we show that AES were allocated to areas with higher proportions of female producers in the EU but not in the US, where funds were directed towards areas with less tenant farmers. Moreover, we suggest that the potential for AES to remediate environmental issues may be curtailed by limited participation in intensive agricultural landscapes. These findings can help inform refinements to EQIP and EAFRD allocation mechanisms and identify opportunities for improving future targeting of AES spending.

Análisis Input-Output de la eficacia de la Política Europea de Desarrollo Rural 2007- 2013. Propuesta metodológica y resultados para Castilla-La Mancha

La implementación del nuevo Fondo Europeo Agrícola de Desarrollo Rural (FEADER) refleja la decidida apuesta de la Unión Europea por convertir la Política de Desarrollo Rural en el segundo pilar de la Política Agrícola Común (PAC). La eficacia del FEADER para conseguir los objetivos propuestos será clave a la hora de determinar el éxito de esta nueva estrategia; de ahí la importancia de la evaluación de impacto. En este trabajo se propone una metodología, basada en el análisis input-output, que mediante un modelo multiregional permite evaluar los efectos sobre la producción, el valor añadido y empleo dentro de la región objetivo y fuera de ella (España, UE-27 y resto del mundo).

The “Eco-Effectiveness” of Agritourism Dynamics in Italy and Spain: A Tool for Evaluating Regional Sustainability

Rural tourism has commonly been identified as one of the main areas of application of the principles of sustainable tourism, but the literature has typically focused solely on the ecological dimension, particularly when referring to agritourism. This study presents a new approach to assessing the “eco-effectiveness” of the evolutionary dynamics of agritourism, as applied in a study of NUTS-2 regions in two European countries (Spain and Italy) that have implemented similar rural development strategies. To this end, a synthetic sustainability index was developed using the Index Decomposition Analysis (IDA) technique. The last period of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) 2007–2013 was chosen for the study in order to analyze the outcomes of a programming cycle focusing on the diversification of agriculture through tourism. The results show that the sustainability of agritourism growth is not homogeneous and has specific features in different regions of the same country. In some cases, there were more similarities with regions from other countries. This tool could help evaluate the impact of agritourism and facilitate comparisons between different regions, in this way supporting the process of transition from a linear to a circular economy.

Constitutional Principle of Environmental Protection as a Directive in the Process of Establishing the Rural Development Programme

&lt;p&gt;The environment is a value and subject of constitutional protection in Poland. Ensuring environmental protection is considered as a political principle in the national doctrine, and due to the editorial location of its source in Article 5 of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland, it is considered as one of the objectives of Polish statehood. In several places, the Basic Law refers to the issue of the environment, considering it an important value and entrusting its care not only to public authorities, but also to anyone who is subject to Polish state authority. Examining whether contemporary instruments of agricultural law, in particular those developed with the participation of Polish state authorities in the application of the mechanisms of the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union, take into account constitutional directives derived from the principle of environmental protection and whether the effects of these activities are verified in the light of the constitutional model is an interesting academic question. The subject of detailed analysis in this study is the rural development programme (RDP) referred to in Article 6 of the Regulation (EU) No. 1305/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No. 1698/2005. The author demonstrates that the constitutional principle of environmental protection was respected by Polish public authorities in the process of creating an important and high-budget instrument for conducting development policy, which is the RDP for the years 2014–2020.&lt;/p&gt;

THE CONTRIBUTION OF NGOs TO IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE LOCAL POPULATION - EXAMPLE OF THE ASSOCIATION „KRASLAVAS DISTRICT PARTNERSHIP”

The study evaluates the contribution of non-governmental organizations (hereinafter - NGOs) to the development of local territories, based on the projects available to NGOs financed by the EU structural funds and the state budget in Latvia. Updated information on the impact of non-governmental organizations on improving the quality of life. The experience of the association “Kraslava District Partnership” in investing EU structural funds financing and implementing the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) “Leader Initiative” measure, project tenders in three municipalities of Latgale region has been analyzed. The activity of NGOs, implementation of “Leader Initiative” projects based on EU funds planning periods has been assessed. Proposals are provided to evaluate the contribution of projects implemented by NGOs to improving the quality of life.

EVALUATION OF DIGITAL MARKETING USE IN THE PROMOTION OF LATGALE REGION TOURISM

Destination communication is essential for improving the economic and social development of cities, regions and countries, as tourism has become a major component of gross domestic product in most countries of the world. The development of information technology has fundamentally changed the use of traditional communication tools. Due to the development of modern information technologies, the Internet has become an integral part of tourism communication. Aim of the research is to explore the use of digital marketing in tourism promotion in Latgale region. Research methods - document analysis, statistical data analysis, survey - surveyed tourism information providers in Latgale region; statistical grouping, reading method, interview. The results of the research show that only 20% of Latgale region tourism information providers are actively involved in the use of social media. In the work of tourism information providers more attention is paid to printed materials than to video materials in the digital environment. But the most effective means of digital marketing is that all tourism information providers emphasize the importance of social networks. Digital Marketing Costs has only 40% of the Latgale region tourism information providers and they make between 100 and 3000 euros per year. On Visitlatgale.com and latgale.travel, most of the analyzed digital marketing criteria are not present. Latgale marketing action plan is quite varied and wide where costs are for many exhibitions both in Latvia and abroad, visits of Latvian tour operators and journalists, visits of foreign tour operators and bloggers, training seminars, but the marketing plan for 2019 does not include expenses for digital marketing. Latgale Region Tourism Association Ezerzeme marketing plan necessary to provide expenditure for the development of a communication plan - actively should be used funded projects possibilities, for example costs can be partly covered by the European Union's European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the Rural Development Program. Latgale Region Tourism Association needs to attract project funding for tourism information providers training in digital marketing. More attention should be paid to publishing video materials and attracting appropriate specialists. Latgale Planning Region and Rezekne Municipality should improve tourism websites Latgale.travel and visitlatgale.com.

Implementing Green Infrastructure in Spatial Planning in Europe

Interest in green infrastructure (GI) has grown in research, policy and planning in recent decades. The central idea behind GI is the understanding of the physical non-built-up environment as an infrastructure capable of delivering a wide variety of benefits to society, including the ability to preserve biodiversity; to provide food, feed, fuel and fibre; to adapt to and mitigate climate change and to contribute to enhanced human health and quality of life. The European Union (EU) has had a GI strategy since 2013, and member states are involved in several strategic and applied GI initiatives and projects. The aim of this study is to explore if and how the European strategy has been implemented. The study adds to the body of knowledge of current GI policies and measures in Europe via an online survey and insights into previous research. The survey reveals that GI is integrated into one or more policy sectors in all 32 countries covered. In 11 of the 32 countries, GI-specific policies are already in place or are being drawn up at a national level. In general, the respondents see the responsibility for GI policy and strategy as a matter of national governments and the implementation as a matter of local governments. They also see the LIFE+ and Horizon 2020 project funds, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), as the most important EU funding sources for the implementation of the GI strategy. The study also identifies availability of georeferenced information, zoning and biotope area factor as three of the spatial planning tools used to implement GI.

The failure of agri-environment measures to promote and conserve grassland biodiversity in Slovenia

The effectiveness of four grassland-specific agri-environment measures (AEM), implemented in the frame of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) in the period 2007–2013 in Slovenia was studied. We questioned whether the measures – “extensive grassland maintenance”; “preservation of special grassland habitats”; “preservation of grassland habitats for butterflies” and “bird conservation in humid extensive meadows in Natura 2000 sites” did genuinely support the conservation (maintenance or improvement) of high nature value (HNV) grasslands in Slovenia. The HNV grasslands were defined on the basis of national fine-resolution field mapping of habitat types. Two main outcomes emerged: AEM did not reach the vast majority of HNV grasslands in Slovenia (only 3%); the proportion of HNV grassland area included in AEM was negligibly low (1). Moreover, even this very limited interest in AEM did not target only grasslands of HNV, but any permanent grasslands regardless of their conservation value: forty-one percent (41%) of the grassland areas included in the AEM were actually non-HNV grasslands (2). The absence of pre-selection criteria for grasslands along with an absence of monitoring of the effectiveness and efficiency of the measures and low interest in the subsidies among farmers, led to almost complete failure of the AEM to promote and conserve species-rich extensive grasslands in Slovenia between 2007 and 2013. Even with some minor differences, the same concept was maintained for the currently running EAFRD 2014–2020, which raises serious concern.

The Effects of Foreign Scientists in Support of EU Structural Funds Framework and Triple Helix Model in South Eastern European Countries

Many projects, conducted at multiple levels and sought solutions to the socio-economic and socio-cultural issues of the society, take place within the framework of the European Union Structural Funds; such as, European regional development fund (ERDF), European social fund (ESF), Cohesion fund (CF), European agricultural fund for rural development (EAFRD) and European maritime and fisheries fund (EMFF). The purpose of this study is to examine the EU structural funds, triple helix (i.e. government-university-industry collaboration), potential financial assistance and research grants that many foreign scientists working in research institutions require as a necessity to conduct research projects. Thus, it is quite crucial to make an optimal use of these financial instruments by taking into account eligibility criteria, thematic areas and determinants expressed in project calls of the European Commission. At this point, collaborative actions and productive activities in a network of stakeholders that consists of a large set of actors interacting within the scale of innovation system and ranging from government institutions and democratic mass organisations to universities and research institutions can be particularly effective for solving remaining social matters by taking into account multilevel governance perspective and civilian / humanitarian approach. Furthermore, dealing with societal problems also means tackling with social inequality, discrimination, extremist / exaggerated populism and nationalism, unbalanced distribution of wealth and so forth. There is a huge gap between civic participation and migrant inclusiveness in South Eastern European Countries (SEECs). This investigation claimed that foreign scientists play a catalyst role as impartial observers within universities, civil society organisations, voluntary philanthropic institutions and epistemic networks. In particular, cultural richness, neutrality, naivety and varying mentalities of foreign scientists enforce their affiliated research institutions in terms of multiculturalism, multiethnicity and cosmopolitanism. It can be asserted that the scientific contributions of foreign scientists strengthen significantly the triple helix model by means of using EU structural funds in SEECs. Essentially, the strategic importance of internationalisation and regionalisation were emphasised due to the existence of a competitive ecosystem in the acquisition of EU structural funds. Globalisation and internationalisation of education and research standards are quite crucial for the development of research and education system. Global standardisation and accreditation ensure an opportunity to maintain a higher level of quality for education and research. The EU motto (i.e. united in diversity) is very much appropriate for shaping the mission and vision of universities and research centres in SEECs. However, there are many obstacles towards this social and institutional change. For instance, scientific disputes and quarrels should not turn into an ideological positioning or political partisanship. In this context, proliferation and support of foreign scientists within SEECs may facilitate to attain the objectives of universities and research institutions and gaining global standardisation and accreditation through collaborating with key stakeholders. Moreover, well-educated foreign scientists who were graduated from remarkable Western universities are not threats for SEECs; conversely, they ought to be seen as a great opportunity for acquisition of various research grants and financial instruments and in fact they can directly contribute to the development of a specific area. Insularity, ethnocentrism, citizenship-based identity, high level civic-orientation, societal exclusiveness, unethical attitudes, and disconformity in common moral values are likely to have negative influences on components of triple helix model and the synergy and allegiance of foreign scientists to their affiliated research institutions. Likewise, the diversification and optimal academic engagement in universities can be boost by involving foreign scientists in various joint research actions, learning and experimental processes, voluntary or participatory activities and scientific events. The originality of this study is that this investigation highlights to what extent foreign scientists affect the management of financial instruments and research grants that are used in SEECs. A particular attention was drawn to the common interests of government bodies, universities and corporations. This study implies that government bodies, universities and corporations in SEECs ought to collaborate with foreign scientists who have a full expertise and capability of conducting investigations in frame of EU structural funds framework. In this study, case study research, document analysis and normative approach were applied methodologically.

Towards Rural Sustainable Development? Contributions of the EAFRD 2007–2013 in Low Demographic Density Territories: The Case of Extremadura (SW Spain)

The European Commission has been striving to achieve sustainable development in its rural areas for more than 25 years through funds aimed at modernizing the agricultural and forestry sectors, protecting the environment and improving the quality of life. However, is sustainable rural development really being accomplished? This study sets out to answer this question in the case of Extremadura, a Spanish territory with low demographic density and a gross domestic product still below 75% of the European average. Both qualitative and quantitative methodologies have been employed, using principal component analysis, the result of which has provided us with a model that shows how various behaviors coexist in the region in view of the distribution of current funding from the EAFRD (European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development). The most dynamic areas have received the largest amounts of funding and these are linked to the agricultural sector and to the protection of the environment, leaving aside the more depressed areas and the implementation of the LEADER approach as well. Therefore, we have come to the conclusion that the current rural development in Extremadura is not sustainable enough.

Possibility of rural sector development in Serbia using IPARD program

For the countries of the Western Balkans, especially in Serbia, whose economy is largely dependent on agriculture, strategically, within the accession negotiations with the European Union, topics concerning the rural sector are of great importance. In this sense, it is very important for all countries in the region, including Serbia to create the conditions for the implementation of IPARD - Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance for Rural Development as the EU pre-accession program. This European instrument which helps countries that are at the door of the EU is actually a preparation for future participation in the complex and clearly defned Common agricultural policy of the European Union (CAP – Common agriculture policy), which is a set of rules equal for all and that means common agricultural budget. The importance of being well-prepared for the CAP, is expressed in the fact that this budget is more than half of EU cash. When a country joins the EU, it is given a quota in the common agricultural budget through two funds - EAFRD (European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development) and EAGF (European Agricultural Guarantee Fund), and for a national agriculture to effectively adopt the mode of operation of these instruments, it is important that the funds which are at its disposal in the pre-accession period are better utilized, and to master the principles on which CAP is based. First steps in the use of further more generous funds for agriculture and rural development are laid down through IPARD.

Zalesianie gruntów rolnych i nieużytków w gminie Szadek w latach 1995–2015

Charakterystyczną cechą przemian współczesnego krajobrazu Polski jest zmniejszanie się powierzchni gruntów rolniczo użytkowanych na rzecz lasów. W pracy przedstawiono dane na temat zalesień słabych gruntów rolnych i tzw. nieużytków zrealizowanych w gminie Szadek w ostatnim dwudziestoleciu. Odnotowano, że w analizowanym okresie powierzchnia lasów tego obszaru zwiększyła się o około 300 ha. Uprawy leśne założono na ponad 170 ha gruntów prywatnych, przy czym w ostatnim dziesięcioleciu zalesiono zaledwie 27 ha. Działalność związana ze zmianą formy użytkowania gruntu prywatnego z rolnego na leśny jest od 2004 r. (po wstąpieniu Polski do Unii Europejskiej) wspierana finansowo ze środków Europejskiego Funduszu Rolnego na rzecz Rozwoju Obszarów Wiejskich w ramach Wspólnej Polityki Rolnej UE. Według danych Agencji Restrukturyzacji i Modernizacji Rolnictwa w Gminie Szadek na zalesienie 23,75 ha gruntów przeznaczono ponad 800 tys. zł (w ramach Programu Rozwoju Obszarów Wiejskich). Stwierdzono, że rozmiar realizowanych zalesień był warunkowany m.in. brakiem długoterminowej stabilności zasad udzielania wsparcia finansowego, ale też znaczącym wzrostem wartości rynkowej gruntów rolnych. Brak stabilizacji gospodarczej czy politycznej oraz zmiany regulacji prawnych związanych z użytkowaniem gruntów rolnych i leśnych w krajach Unii Europejskiej, w tym w Polsce, hamują – uzasadniony względami ekonomicznymi (zalesianie gruntów nieodpowiednich do prowadzenia gospodarki rolnej) i ekologicznymi (odtworzenie ekosystemów leśnych w krajobrazie zdominowanym przez pola uprawne) – proces zalesiania słabych gruntów rolnych i nieużytków.

Using Analytic Network Process and Dominance-based Rough Set Approach for sustainable requalification of traditional farm buildings in Southern Italy

Rural Sustainable Development (RSD) is promoted by the European Union (EU) Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2014–2020, and in particular by the national and regional Rural Development Programmes (RDPs), which are mainly supported by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). At the sub-regional level, a part of the EAFRD is managed by Local Action Groups (LAGs), which decide how to use their own budget within their municipalities via a bottom-up approach, according to the most suitable projects available within the RDP.Requalification of traditional farm buildings is a possible RSD project for achieving various objectives, including creation of new jobs and economic activities, protection of the natural environment, promotion of rural tourism, preservation of rural culture and traditions, encouragement of a sense of community, improvement of the viability of rural villages, and also to contrast the abandonment of rural areas.Nevertheless, European projects and research show that the different types of requalification carried out are often not related to RSD objectives and that requalification does not usually combine the sustainability dimensions and spatial features of rural areas. Furthermore, the opinions of various stakeholders should be considered to support the generation of RSD policies and strategies.Thus, this research aims to provide a RSD decision making framework that makes it possible to tackle the above issues for identifying which type of requalification to assign to certain traditional farm buildings. Therefore, the results should facilitate the work of LAG policy makers in planning and managing the EAFRD 2014–2020. The framework combines the Multiple Criteria Decision Aiding (MCDA) methods “Analytic Network Process” (ANP) and “Dominance-based Rough Set Approach” (DRSA).This framework was applied to a LAG territory in Apulia Region (Southern Italy) that includes 176 traditional farm buildings. The ANP application identified the optimal quota for each type of requalification and showed that the highest quota is allocated to Facilities and Accommodations for Rural Tourism. The second preferred requalification is Centres for Environmental Education, Recreational and Social Facilities, while the third is Facilities for the Transformation and Sale of Agricultural Products. The DRSA was then applied in a Geographic Information System (GIS) in order to choose the most suitable traditional farm buildings for each type of requalification, helping the LAG policy makers to fill each quota.