?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.title=The+potential+of+the+new+EU+Rural+Development+Programme+in+supporting+Organic+Farming&rft.creator=H%C3%83%C2%A4ring%2C+Anna&rft.creator=Stolze%2C+Matthias&rft.creator=Zanoli%2C+Raffaele&rft.creator=Vairo%2C+Daniela&rft.creator=Dabbert%2C+Stephan&rft.subject=+Policy+environments+and+social+economy&rft.description=Background%3A%0D%0AIn+July+2004%2C+the+Commission+presented+a+new+proposal+for+a+Council+Regulation+on+support+for+rural+development+by+the+European+Agricultural+Fund+for+Rural+Development+(EAFRD)+for+the+programming+period+2007+%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%93+2013+which+has+been+agreed+upon+in+June+2005+(European+Commission+2005a%2C+Council+of+the+European+Union+2005a+and+2005b).+The+explanatory+memorandum+of+the+new+Rural+Development+Programme+(RDP)+presented+by+the+European+Commission+mentions+that+after+a+period+of+reforms+of+the+First+Pillar+of+the+CAP%2C+now+focus+will+be+led+on+the+reform+of+rural+development+policy.+However%2C+this+does+not+mean+a+paradigm+shift+but+rather+a+consolidation+and+administrative+simplification+making+rural+development+policy+more+efficient+and+coherent+(Wehrheim+2005).+Compared+to+current+Council+Regulation+(EC)+1257%2F1999%2C+the+new+RDP+considers+in+Article+6+to++strengthen+the+partnership+approach+through+close+consultation+of+competent+regional%2C+local+and+other+public+authorities+as+well+as+Non-governmental+organisations+and+private+bodies+representing+civil+society+(European+Commission+2004b).%0D%0AThe+regulation+seeks+dovetailing+policies+of+first+and+second+pillar%3A+e.g.+through+modulation.+On+the+other+side%2C+EU+rural+development+policy+should+move+towards+a+more+strategic+approach%2C+reinforcing+it+and+simplifying+its+implementation+(European+Commission%2C+2004a).+To+ensure+the+sustainable+development+of+rural+areas%2C+the+new+RDP+focuses+on+a+limited+number+of+core+priority+objectives+relating+to+agriculture+and+forestry+(European+Commission%2C+2004b)%3A%0D%0A1.+improving+the+competitiveness+of+agriculture+and+forestry+by+means+of+support+for++restructuring%2C+development+and+innovation%0D%0A2.+improving+the+environment+and+the+countryside+by+means+of+support+for+land+management%0D%0A3.+improving+the+quality+of+life+in+rural+areas+and+encouraging+diversification+of+economic+activity%3A%0D%0AEach+of+these+core+objectives+relates+to+one+thematic+axis+for+which+each+a+range+of+measures+are+proposed%3A%0D%0AAxis+1%3A+Improving+the+competitiveness+of+the+agriculture+and+forestry+sector%0D%0AAxis+2%3A+Improving+the+environment+and+the+countryside%0D%0AAxis+3%3A+The+quality+of+life+in+rural+areas+and+diversification+of+the+rural+economy%0D%0AIn+addition+a+fourth+overarching+axis+is+introduced+which+relates+to+all+three+objectives%3A%0D%0AAxis+4%3A+%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9CLEADER%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9D+Axis%0D%0AWhile+so+far+the+2nd+Pillar+of+the+CAP+was+funded+by+two+different+financial+sources+(EAGGF+Guidance+and+Guarantee+section)%2C+the+new+regulation+envisages+the+creation+of+only+one+new+fund+for+Pillar+2%3A+The+European+Agricultural+Fund+for+Rural+Development+(EAFRD).+Thus%2C+current+differences+of+Guidance+and+Guarantee+section+as+concerns+programming%2C+administration+and+monitoring+will+be+dispensed%2C+which+might+lead+to+a+significant+ease+of+administrative+tasks+(Grajewski+2004).+The+resources+available+for+the+period+2007+to+2013+amount+according+to+Article+70+of+the+Council+proposal+to+88%2C75+billion+Euro+at+constant+2004+prices+(European+Council%2C+2005).+The+minimum+EU+fund+contribution+at+axis+level+shall+be+20%25.+In+the+case+of+Axis+1+and+3%2C+maximum+funds+are+ceiled+to+50%25+of+the+eligible+public+expenditures+(75%25+in+convergence+regions).+For+Axis+2+and+the+Leader+Axis+the+maximum+rate+will+be+55%25+(80%25+in+convergence+regions)%2C+expressing+the+EU+priority+attached+to+these+axes.+For+the+outermost+regions+the+maximum+co-financing+rates+are+increased+by+5+points+(Council+of+the+European+Union+2005a).+The+implementation+process+of+the+new+policy+foresees+adoption+of+the+Community+level+strategic+guidelines+for+rural+development+by+autumn+2005+in+order+to+enable+Member+states+to+finalise+their+national+strategic+plans+until+mid+2006+(European+Commission+2005a).%0D%0ASo+far%2C+there+has+only+been+some+scientific+discussion+on+earlier+stages+of+the+respective+regulation+(Grajewski+et+al.+2004%2C+Schader+and+Stolze+2005%2C+Wissenschaftlicher+Beirat+Agrarpolitik%2C+nachhaltige+Landbewirtschaftung+und+Entwicklung+l%C3%83%C2%A4ndlicher+R%C3%83%C2%A4ume+beim+Bundesministerium+f%C3%83%C2%BCr+Verbraucherschutz%2C+Ern%C3%83%C2%A4hrung+und+Landwirtschaft+2005).+Generally+the+approach+of+the+regulation+was+considered+to+be+an+improvement.+However%2C+little+reference+has+been+made+so+far+in+the+discussion+to+the+prospects+the+new+policy+holds+for+support+of+organic+farming%2C+inspite+of+the+fact+that+there+are+economic+arguments+in+favour+of+support+for+organic+farming+(Dabbert+et+al.+2004).+Organic+farming+is+mentioned+only+once+in+the+regulation%2C+as+a+minor+point+and+without+any+specifics.+This+seems+to+be+in+contrast+to+the+importance+given+to+organic+farming+by+other+statements+of+the+Commission+(European+Commission+2004c).+Also+the+recent+Commission+proposal+for+strategic+guidelines+(European+Commission+2005b)+is+more+explicit+on+the+role+of+organic+farming+for+rural+development.+It+thus+seems+worthwhile+to+take+a+closer+look+at+this+aspect.++%0D%0A&rft.date=2005-09&rft.type=Working+paper&rft.type=NonPeerReviewed&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F6338%2F1%2FStolze-2005-DP_RDP__final.pdf&rft.identifier=H%C3%83%C2%A4ring%2C+Anna%3B+Stolze%2C+Matthias%3B+Zanoli%2C+Raffaele%3B+Vairo%2C+Daniela+and+Dabbert%2C+Stephan+(2005)+The+potential+of+the+new+EU+Rural+Development+Programme+in+supporting+Organic+Farming.+Further+Development+of+Organic+Farming+Policy+in+Europe+with+Particular+Emphasis+on+EU+Enlargement%2C+no.QLK5-2002-00917%2C+Socio-Economic%2C+Fachhochschule+Eberswalde%2C+Eberswalde%2C+Germany%3B+Forschungsinstitut+f%C3%83%C2%BCr+Biologischen+Landbau+(FiBL)%2C+Frick%2C+Switzerland%3B+Universit%C3%83%C2%A0+Politecnica+delle+Marche%2C+Italy%3B+Universit%C3%83%C2%A4t+Hohenheim%2C+Germany.+[+Unpublished%2C+]&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F6338%2F