Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the "Regional impact of European agricultural and rural policy (a policy assessment)"

(2001/C 357/07)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

having regard to its decision of 13 June 2000 in accordance with the fifth paragraph of Article 265 of the EC Treaty to draw up an own-initiative Opinion on The regional impact of European agricultural and rural policy (a policy assessment) and to instruct Commission 2 to carry out the preparatory work;

having regard to the draft opinion (CdR 253/2000 rev. 4) adopted by Commission 2 on 20 April 2001 (rapporteurs: Mr Endlein, Landrat, Chairman of the German Association of District Councils, Northeim District Council, D/PSE, and Mr van Gelder, Queen's Commissioner for the Province of Zeeland, NL/PPE);

having regard to the questionnaire (CdR 253/2000 rev. 4 Appendix) on which this opinion is based, to which the members of the Commission 2 working party, consisting of representatives of the 15 Member States, replied,

at its 39th plenary session of 13 and 14 June 2001 (meeting of 13 June) unanimously adopted the following opinion.

Recommendations of the Committee of the Regions

1. In formulating policy, attention needs to be paid from the outset and at every level to assessment, by establishing not only where and how monitoring is to be carried out but also which indicators are to be used.

2. To avoid creating an inaccurate impression of policy, preference should be given on methodological grounds to an integrated approach to assessment. This means an approach by which the overall impact of all policies relevant to the development of the countryside is the subject of monitoring by all the competent authorities, so that a picture can be built up not only of the impact on the economy and environment, but also on the social and ecological infrastructure and cultural landscape. This requires the compilation of quantitative information using more variables than is currently the case.

3. In accordance with the subsidiarity principle, a major part of the information could or should be gathered by the Member States, the lower-level authorities and local research institutes on the basis of a limited, integrated questionnaire.

4. To make it possible to aggregate the information thus gathered, the information needs to be clear, which requires efficient central management of the methodology for information gathering. This management must necessarily be carried out at European level. It is essential that the Member States and other authorities responsible for the countryside participate unreservedly in the establishment of a (permanent) monitoring system of this kind. The Committee well understands the scale of the task of establishing such a system, but feels that proper assessment of policy requires this to be done.

5. To establish a system of assessment of this kind based on complementarity between the institutions involved, consultation and coordination will be required between the players under the central management of the European Union, in addition to the very welcome initiatives of the European Union's own services. It is recommended that the European Union involve all the players in the establishment of a system of assessment by means of symposia, conferences, etc.

6. As it would not be possible to set up on a short time scale a system of this kind capable of generating usable data, the Committee intends to follow up this study, using the same working methods, three years after publication of this opinion. The follow-up will include the impact of the regional development programme instrument which has not yet been in existence long enough to make any impact assessment possible.

7. The Committee recommends all the authorities concerned to attach priority in their policies over the coming years to: maintenance of the cultural landscape, as an integral part of muntifunctional agriculture in keeping with the European agricultural model; the additional difficulties faced by island regions; use of telematics in the countryside; and, quality of life for the people living in rural areas including farming families, particularly lasting improvements in economic and social conditions, so that young farmers see in their farms a long-term source of livelihood.

8. Further to recommendations 1 to 4 above, the Committee notes the desirability of consistently including assessment arrangements in the framing or revision of rural development programmes and plans. The Committee also supports drawing up a classification of rural areas throughout the EU in order to ensure that greater objectivity is brought to bear and, consequently, that assessment is carried out in a discriminating way.

9. Furthermore, in the framing, implementation and assessment of plans and programmes, the Committee would recommend that more and/or better use be made of non-governmental organisations' specialised expertise. This expertise should include research abilities, and the assessment should be carried out scientifically.

10. Finally, the Committee notes the survey's warm and virtually unanimous endorsement of the Leader programmes. Following on from that, the Committee recommends that consideration be given to the possibility of extending the programmes both in duration and, above all, applicability. Consideration should also be given, in the Committee's view, to the extent to which the favourable experiences gained from the methodology of these programmes can be transposed to other schemes.

11. The enlargement of the EU calls for precautionary policies for the mainly rural regions in the areas bordering on the applicant countries. Above all, the current possibilities available under EU policies must be used in a targeted manner. A separate aid programme for border regions, in line with EU Council initiatives, should thus for a limited period of time provide a necessary complement to measures designed to give a sustained economic and social boost to border regions.

Brussels, 13 June 2001.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Jos Chabert