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A new edition of the EAFRD Projects Brochure focusing on the ‘Transition to Greener Rural Economies’ is now available online. This transition is about taking advantage of economic opportunities that are environmentally and socially sustainable.

The projects reflect the breadth of relevant approaches that can be supported under the Rural Development Programmes (RDPs). The examples cover: making a living from biodiversity; doing more with less; promoting green tourism; supporting renewable energy; and cooperation projects.

The publication aims to inspire new ways of working that will be required for a successful transition to greener rural economies. We encourage you to share it amongst your networks!

For electronic and paper subscriptions to ENRD publications please write to subscribe@enrd.eu.

The 7th NRNs’ Meeting brought agricultural advisory service representatives together with Network Support Units (NSUs) and Managing Authorities in the Azores (Portugal), 15-17 March 2017. Participants discussed ways to improve links between rural networks and advisors in order to better support farmers and project beneficiaries.

The event also saw an exchange on networks’ various thematic work outputs, how these reflect realities on the ground and how they can be used to improve project implementation. Participants further reflected on ways in which NSUs can best support the implementation of the Cork 2.0 Declaration.

Get in touch with Local Action Groups (LAGs) funded under the Rural Development Programmes via the updated ENRD LAG database.

The database now contains the contact information of over 1 100 LAGs from across 14 EU Member States and will be continuously expanded, including to local groups operating under the Fisheries (EMFF), Regional Development (ERDF) and Social (ESF) Funds.

The work and activities of the National and European Rural Networks are at the heart of the Cork 2.0 Action Plan, recently published by DG AGRI.

The Action Plan outlines planned and completed activities across the EU to implement each of the ten policy orientations of the Cork 2.0 Declaration. They include several ENRD, EIP-AGRI and NRN activities, as well as those of European organisations, research projects and initiatives of the European Commission.

DG AGRI is inviting organisations to share their relevant events and initiatives at conference@ec.europa.eu.

The 3^rd meeting of the ENRD Thematic Group (TG) on ‘Resource-Efficient Rural Economy’ discussed the emerging findings of analysis on how Rural Development Programmes (RDPs) can best contribute to the resource-efficient management of soil nutrients, soil carbon and water.

The meeting took place on 7 March with around 15 participants in Brussels and further members joining in via video conference. It included preliminary findings of an EU-level overview of RDP support and an update on ongoing comparative analysis in six EU Member States and regions.

The group further discussed existing good practice, examples of legal and policy bottlenecks, and preparations for the 4^th TG meeting to take place in Bologna, Italy 3-5 May 2017.

A wide range of materials on information systems for farmer support and advisory services in EU Member States has been made available by the European project PRO-AKIS.

The materials include: a searchable database of agricultural advisory organisations; individual country reports and posters; and two synthesis reports providing a European comparative analysis.

A new online tool will facilitate European agri-food producers and SMEs in accessing new markets outside the EU.

Managed by the European Commission’s Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency (CHAFEA), the tool will serve as a one-stop shop for information on entering new export markets and EU funding opportunities for promotion programmes, as well as for project partner search.

A new declaration calling for an improved LEADER/CLLD implementation framework was recently published. It resulted from a stakeholder-driven process at the Renewing LEADER/CLLD for 2020+ conference organised by the European LEADER Association for Rural Development (ELARD) in November 2016 in Tartu, Estonia.

ELARD’s ‘Tartu declaration’ calls for a decrease in bureaucracy and a simplified multi-funded CLLD through a single funding source managed by one coordinating body and following a unique set of rules at EU level.

A new study by the European Parliament’s Think Tank examines the role that the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) plays in supporting EU climate action in the 2014-2020 period and how it might evolve post-2020.

The publication reviews the implications for EU agriculture of the COP21 Paris Agreement on climate change and the latest EU climate policy proposals for 2030.

A new Guarantee Fund supported under the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and managed by the European Investment Fund (EIF) will provide investment support for SMEs in the French region Occitanie/Pyrénées-Méditerranée.

The new Guarantee Fund is the first Financial Instrument (FI) under the EAFRD to be managed by the EIF. It will help leverage a loan portfolio of € 67.5 m, aiming to stimulate the local economy by facilitating investment in riskier projects related to food, farming and forestry. The support will be provided by the French ‘Banque Populaire du Sud’.

A collection of teaching and learning resources on food and farming in Europe intended for students aged 11-15 has been made available by DG AGRI in 24 European languages.

The resource pack contains training modules, a teacher’s guide, animated video and a PowerPoint presentation explaining the topics of food, environment and countryside in Europe.

A guide overviewing EU funding opportunities for regional and local authorities, NGOs, businesses, professionals and citizens has recently been made available by European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS).

The guide lists funding sources under various policy areas, including agriculture and rural development, and is intended to support potential beneficiaries in applying for EU funding.

A new brochure by CEEweb for Biodiversity overviews green infrastructure – a network of green spaces conceived to provide multiple benefits to people and nature – and how it can be integrated into Europe’s agricultural sector.

The publication contains a list of EU policies and funding possibilities, best practice examples and the latest scientific evidence in support of green infrastructure.