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Learn how the pilot Nature Conservation Plan in Austria introduced a results-based approach allowing more flexibility for farmers to choose and implement land management activities while protecting the environment.

Discover more good practices related to nature conservation in our Project Database.

A recent ENRD event (30 January 2018 – Brussels, Belgium) brought together representatives of national authorities and the European Commission’s DG AGRI to discuss the transition to a new delivery model for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) based on performance.

Focusing on rural development aspects, participants from all 28 EU Member States exchanged on the practical implications of such a shift, including:

• potential challenges and needs related to transitioning to and implementing the new delivery model;
• designing the performance framework; and
• simplifying the programming phase.

The latest National Rural Networks’ (NRNs) workshop (13 February 2018 – Rome, Italy) considered how the Rural Development Programmes (RDPs) are delivered and coordinated at the national level, as well as what the links are between regional RDPs.

Participants exchanged on topics such as Cooperation (Measure 16), LEADER/CLLD and networks’ capacity building at the regional level, as well as on the role of national and regional networks in coordination, networking and policy delivery. Finally, they drew recommendations for enhancing the effectiveness of NRN strategies and programmes, recognising the varied structure of regional delivery.

A recent ENRD workshop (6 February 2018 – Brussels, Belgium) discussed how LEADER/CLLD implementation can be simplified in the current programming period and possible simplification priorities for the future.

Participants identified harmonisation of the delivery system with LEADER principles, controls and sanctions, and improving implementation at the Local Action Group (LAG) level as key simplification themes for the current period. Priorities for the future included various aspects of preparatory and technical support; multi-sectoral and integrated approaches; Local Development Strategy and project selection; as well as solutions to ensure timely implementation on the ground.

A three-month public consultation on the performance of the 2007-2013 Rural Development Programmes (RDPs) was launched on 22 January 2018 by the European Commission’s DG AGRI.

The consultation will run until 20 April and is intended to collect feedback from stakeholders ranging from the general public, to farmers, to public authorities on what worked and what did not during the previous programming period.

Browse through a set of case studies and a toolkit providing guidance and tips to farmers and foresters on how to build a successful collective initiative that increases the environmental and social benefits from land management.

These resources – produced by the Horizon 2020 project PEGASUS – explore the solutions that have enabled local actors to develop successful land management approaches and were launched at the project’s concluding conference in February 2018.

Explore a collection of good practice examples of social innovation in agriculture, forestry and rural development in marginalised rural areas in the new brochure published by the Horizon 2020 project SIMRA.

The highlighted examples showcase the diversity of social innovations across Europe and the Mediterranean region and are selected from the project’s database of good practices.

A recent publication by the European Parliament’s Think Tank examines Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) tools supporting young farmers and how these are implemented across Europe.

Based on case studies and analytical review, the study puts forward policy recommendations aimed at improving existing support mechanisms and assisting young farmers to deal with barriers to entering agriculture.

For further information, see our collection of resources on generational renewal.

A new report published by the advisory platform fi-compass provides an estimate of the additional investment financing needs of EU agriculture, which could be addressed through Financial Instruments.

The publication indicates a financial gap between € 7.06 bn and € 18.60 bn, with a range of € 1.56 bn to € 4.12 bn for short-term loans and € 5.50 bn to € 14.48 bn for medium and long-term loans. The estimate is based on the methodological approach established by the European Commission under the SME Initiative using updated data from Eurostat, the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) and the SAFE survey.

Browse through the new catalogue of urban and peri-urban agriculture best practices collected throughout six Mediterranean metropolises by the MADRE project.

The highlighted examples showcase a variety of solutions applied to diverse local contexts encouraging the optimal development and sustainability of urban and peri-urban agriculture, including farmer and consumer innovation, as well as social, territorial and transnational innovation.

A new EU-funded project – CARE-T-FARMs – kicked off in November 2017 and will work to develop training materials supporting the uptake of social and care farming across Europe.

The project will examine best practices from Italy, Poland, Spain and Turkey to develop three education and training modules on how a farm setting could be used as a place to provide social support services and promote mental and physical health.

Highlighting the contribution of rural women to agricultural innovation, an annual award run by the Spanish ministry of agriculture seeks to promote the role of women in rural business, projects and initiatives across the country.

The winners of the 2017 awards include: ASTURsabor (Asturias) for economic diversification; Domiña (Navarra) for innovation; Ganaderas en Red (online community) for social innovation; and La Gaceta (Salamanca) for communication.