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The Černelič Biodynamic Farm

Discover how organic and biodynamic farms in Slovenia cooperate to jointly acquire no-till cultivation equipment to enhance soil quality, reduce pollution and maximise their soil’s capacity to act as a carbon sink.

Find out more about this Project, which is also a RIA Awards2020 winner in the “Popular Vote” category.

The European Commission welcomed the political agreement between the European Parliament and EU Member States in the Council on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) rules for the transitional period of 2021-2022. These rules are based on the principle of continuity of the current CAP rules, while also including new elements to ensure a smooth transition. This agreement also covers the integration of the European Union Recovery Instrument (EURI) funds into the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), allowing the farming and rural economies to recover and be resilient in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic. For more information and background materials, please visit this website. On 10 December at the EU Summit, a political compromise was found which should allow the new Multiannual Financial Framework and the recovery funds (once ratified) to be implemented. You can read the European Council conclusions here.

Are you involved with the preparation of 2021-27 Partnership Agreements and programmes? If so the Committee of the Regions (CoR) would like to hear from you to help them assess the involvement of local, regional, civil society and economic partners in the preparation of 2021-27 EU programmes. The partnership principle is a key feature in programming and implementation of European funds which buildson a multi-level governance approach and ensures involvement of civil society and social partners. The principles shall be considered for EU Cohesion Policy (Partnership Agreement, ERDF, ESF+ and CF) as well as for CAP strategic Plans. You can contribute to the survey until 21 December 2020.

The theme of this year’s call for proposals is for information measures that focus on illustrating how the future CAP as set out in particular in the CAP strategic plan proposal will contribute towards the delivery of the European Commission’s political priorities, in particular the European Green Deal, the Farm to Fork Strategy and the Biodiversity Strategy. Learn more about the budget and the target public, and apply here before 21 January 2021.

The evaluation aims to determine whether the CAP objectives of ‘fostering knowledge transfer and innovation in agriculture, forestry and rural areas’ are being met, and whether the relevant measures are effective, efficient, coherent, relevant and provide EU added value. This public consultation aims to gather information and feedback from stakeholders and the wider public and thus contribute to the evidence-base for this evaluation. You can contribute to this consultation by filling in the online questionnaire until 02 February 2021.

Financial instruments (FI) using proposed future CAP support could help to finance stand-alone working capital, investments, capital rebates and provide for combinations with grants and interest rate subsidies. They can help significantly in achieving European Green Deal ambitions by supporting, for example, green cost saving investments. They can help meet the financial needs of agriculture and the agri-food sector and overcome the estimated gaps in their financing. Member States are encouraged  to consider FIs for the  green and digital transition in their future CAP Strategic Plans. This was a key message from the 2020 annual conference on EAFRD financial instruments and you can read more here.

The third edition of the ENRD Rural Inspiration Awards is here! This year's theme is 'Our Rural Future' in line with the Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas to be developed by the European Commission in close consultation with rural stakeholders, national and regional authorities.

The four thematic categories are: Green Futures, Digital Futures, Resilient Futures, and Socially Inclusive Futures and there will also be a Popular Vote category, awarded and decided via an online voting system. National Rural Networks and National Support Units will submit entries from their Member State before 18 January 2021. Feel free to send any questions to awards@enrd.eu.

In the context of the pandemic caused by COVID-19, and potentially other future crises, innovation can contribute to strengthening the resilience and adaptive capacity of agriculture and forestry.

In particular, the COVID-19 crisis has shown the importance and resilience of short food supply chains, adapted to local conditions that provide consumers with nutritious, seasonal foods for which farmers are paid a fair price while ensuring that food systems continue to function when borders are closed.  

The EIP-AGRI has been working on several activities that strengthen the resilience and adaptability of  this sector, and these are summed up on the EIP-AGRI's website.

Local Action Groups (LAGs) from France, Poland and Spain are looking for partners for LEADER projects on cultural heritage, arts and disability, rural hubs (known as 'third places' in France – physical spaces that perform a series of community functions that are half way between work and home) and more. The CLLD Partner Search tool allows Local Action Groups (LAGs) to create cooperation offers and find project partners. LAG managers can log in to their accounts when visiting our webpage and create cooperation offers for their LAGs. Browse the CLLD Partner Search page on the ENRD website to know more! 

Allianz in den Alpen (an association of local authorities and regions from seven Alpine states) recently organised a conference on 'Outdoor tourism in a long-term perspective'. The materials from the event and some podcasts are now available. One important insight is that visitor guidance is the key to a sustainable experience of nature and a conflict-free coexistence in the Alps: "We need to define sensitive areas, bring together interest groups and find creative ways of educating visitors."

The AlVelAl association is implementing an action plan for restoring natural areas in Andalusia (Spain). As part of this strategy, 140,000 seeds of Pinus Nigra have been sown via drone. To guarantee the 10% survival rate, required to produce 15,000 new trees in 20 years, the seeds have been wrapped and pelletized for germination on the surface using a dispenser specifically designed for this action.

The ENRD is always on the lookout for interesting rural stories. What is your experience with using Rural Development Programmes in your rural area? How is your community reacting to recent challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic? How do you imagine the future for European rural areas? At the ENRD we will be glad to hear from you and we might use your story in our thematic work, publications and social media. Visit the dedicated webpage and feel free to get in touch if you need further assistance. We look forward to hearing from you!

The ENRD CP office in Brussels remains closed until further notice due to the COVID-19 outbreak but ENRD activities are all going ahead using digital approaches adapted to the new context. The team is as busy as ever networking, organising and delivering virtual events, producing publications and keeping you abreast of the latest news. We invite you to keep an eye on the Upcoming Events section of our website, where we list relevant forthcoming events. Feel free to contact us at any time!

The seventh meeting of the Rural Networks’ Assembly provided an update to members on the CAP Reform and other relevant EU Policy Initiatives. Participants were also informed of planned and forthcoming rural networks’ activities, reviewed the achievements of EU Rural Networks to date,  and had the opportunity to exchange on the Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas.

The presentations from the day are available on the event page.

This meeting continued the discussions on the Joint Research Centre-led Foresight exercise in order to further develop future scenarios. These will form important building blocks for the EU Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas. Participants also discussed the growing number of initiatives to engage stakeholders in discussions about the Long Term Vision that are taking place in different parts of Europe.

The presentations from the day are available on the event page.

The ENRD Workshop for National Rural Networks on Valorising and Communicating Successful Projects aimed to identify the success factors and consider how successful projects can be identified, communicated and used in networking.

The presentations from the day and more information on the projects showcased during the event are available on the event page.

The fifth ENRD LEADER Thematic Lab explored the role of LEADER and Local Action Groups in developing strategic approaches and initiatives with a potential to contribute to Green Deal objectives.

The presentations from the day are available on the event page.

The highlights report of the ENRD Thematic Group on the Long Term Rural Vision - Interim meeting provides further insights into the drivers and scenarios to be developed in the Foresight exercise for the Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas.

The report of the eighth meeting of the European Rural Networks' Assembly's permanent Sub-group on LEADER/CLLD is available on the event page. The page includes also the report of the mini-workshop on 'Improving LEADER delivery for resilient rural territories'.