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Read and help disseminate the new EAFRD Projects Brochure on ‘Migrant and Refugee Integration’ in rural Europe now available on the ENRD website.

The Brochure explores how individuals and communities in rural areas have used EAFRD support to respond in positive ways to the challenges and opportunities presented by the recent influx of migrants and refugees into the European Union.

The Brochure is linked to broader thematic work of the ENRD Contact Point on social inclusion in 2016, which included factsheets on young people, Roma, migrants, LEADER/CLLD and networking, and a related workshop.

Following the summer break, the ENRD Contact Point is launching new ENRD Thematic Groups on how to make the Rural Development Programmes (RDPs) more effective in supporting ‘Smart and Competitive Rural Businesses’ and ‘Resource-efficient rural economies’.

The two Thematic Groups will involve interested stakeholders and fit into the broader ENRD thematic priorities of ‘Smart and Competitive Rural Areas’ and ‘Greening the Rural Economy’. A third thematic strand will focus on ‘demographic change and social inclusion in rural areas’.

These themes have been chosen based on the interest expressed by representatives of various stakeholder groups in the Rural Networks’ Steering Group. For more information and to get involved, contact: edina.ocsko@enrd.eu.

The major Cork 2.0 European Conference on Rural Development on 5-6 September 2016 will discuss current and future challenges of farming and rural areas, as well as potential policy responses. Follow the discussions through the live web-stream and use #EU_Cork2 to join the online debate.

The conference takes place 20 years after the ground-breaking European Conference where the Cork Declaration on Rural Development was signed. The 2.0 edition will see the signing of a new Cork Declaration, recognising the need for a strong and evolving Rural Development policy.

A new study by the European Parliament’s Think Tank examines the choices made by Member States and regions in planning their 2014-2020 Rural Development Programmes (RDPs).

The study analyses planned expenditure under the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) as well as national or regional co-financing and top-ups. It draws comparisons with the 2007-2013 period, including on budgetary transfers between the two Pillars of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and allocation between the various European Structural and Investment Funds.

A new guide on Evaluation of the National Rural Networks (NRNs) in the 2014-2020 period has been made available by the European Evaluation Helpdesk for Rural Development.

The guide includes step-by-step recommendations on the overall process and available methodologies for designing and managing NRN evaluations. It is a non-binding document which complements existing legal requirements on the topic.

See also the August 2016 edition of the Evaluation Helpdesk Newsletter including a feature article on LEADER/CLLD evaluation.

The European Commission has made available new factsheets overviewing the use and main objectives of the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESI Funds) - including the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) - in each EU Member State.

The factsheets include: the budget allocation for each Fund; the country’s key priorities and targets broken down by sector; and good practice examples from the 2007-2013 programming period.

A new EIP-AGRI brochure highlights methods to improve soil organic matter content and puts forward solutions to common soil challenges across Europe. It suggests topics for potential Operational Group projects related to soil quality and health.

The publication follows on the work and outputs from two EIP-AGRI Focus Groups on ‘Soil Organic Matter content in Mediterranean regions’ and ‘Soil-borne diseases’.

A new publication by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre provides an economic assessment of Greenhous Gas (GHG) mitigation policy options for EU agriculture.

The study overviews agricultural GHG emissions in the EU and goes on to examine to what extent technological mitigation options could be applied by EU farmers and their costs.

Watch two short films by the advisory platform fi-compass explaining the role and scope for Financial Instruments using the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD).

The videos are among the outputs of two dedicated fi-compass events in Madrid (31 May) and Rome (13 June) and feature stakeholders’ advice and perspectives on using more business loans, bank guarantees, and equity investments within the Rural Development Programmes.

A new publication by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) makes the case for forest and farm producer organisations as key drivers of the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The publication explores ways in which producer organisations can generate direct SDG benefits by looking at concrete examples of sustainable activities and successful cooperation, and makes a call to action.

Watch a new promotional video explaining the benefits of rural networking in France and in Europe, as well as the objectives and implementation of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) in the country.

The video has been released by the French Rural Network. For more audio-visual material on the topic, visit the network’s website.

Explore the outputs – including videos and presentations - from World Forest Week held in Rome, 18-22 July 2016.

A series of events examined how sustainable forest management can contribute to global development goals and provided an opportunity to share the latest knowledge and accomplishments around issues such as emerging technologies, food security, climate change, and sustainable development.