2008/168/EC: Commission Decision of 20 February 2008 setting up the organisational structure for the European Network for Rural Development
Date: 2008-02-20
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: committee (EU), cooperation policy, exchange of information, operation of the Institutions, rural development

29.2.2008

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Official Journal of the European Union

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COMMISSION DECISION

of 20 February 2008

setting up the organisational structure for the European Network for Rural Development

(2008/168/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

Article 1

Coordination committee

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 of
20 September 2005 on support for rural development by the
European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) (1),
and in particular Article 91 thereof,

The Coordination committee of the European Network for
1.
Rural Development (hereinafter the Coordination committee) is
hereby established.

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

A European Network for Rural Development
for the
networking of national networks, organisations and
administrations active in the field of rural development
at Community level was put in place in accordance with
is
Article 67 of Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005.
necessary to adopt implementing rules in order to lay
down the organisational structure for the Network.

It

in Article 67(a)

In order to prepare and implement the activities provided
for
to (f) of Regulation (EC) No
1698/2005, a Coordination committee should be estab-
lished within the European Network for Rural Devel-
tasks
opment. Therefore the organisational structure,
and procedural
the Coordination committee
should be defined.

rules of

cooperation initiatives

In order to support the national networks and trans-
national
referred to in
Article 67(f) of Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005, a
separate Leader subcommittee should be set up under
the Coordination committee. The composition and the
tasks of this subcommittee should be defined.

as

In order to set up and run expert networks with a view
to facilitating an exchange of expertise and supporting
implementation and evaluation of the rural development
policy as provided for in Article 67(e) of Regulation (EC)
No 1698/2005, an Expert committee on Evaluation of
Rural Development Programmes should be established.
this committee
The composition and the tasks of
should be defined.

2.

The Coordination committee shall, in particular:

(a) assist the Commission in the preparation and implemen-
tation of activities provided for in Article 67 (a) to (f) of
Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005;

(b) ensure coordination between the European Network for
Rural Development,
the national rural networks referred
to in Article 68 of Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005, and
organisations active in rural development at Community
level;

(c) advise the Commission on the annual work programme of
and
the European Network
contribute to the choice and coordination of
thematic
work carried out by the European Network for Rural
Development;

for Rural Development

(d) propose, as appropriate, to the Commission the creation of

thematic working groups.

Evaluation networking activities covered by Article 5 shall be
excluded from the tasks mentioned in the first subparagraph.

Article 2

Appointment and operation of Coordination committee

The Coordination committee shall be composed of 69

1.
members among which:

(5)

in this Decision are in
The measures provided for
accordance with the opinion of the Rural Development
Committee,

(a) 27 representatives shall be from national competent auth-

orities (one representative from each Member State);

(1) OJ L 277, 21.10.2005, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 2012/2006 (OJ L 384, 29.12.2006, p. 8).

(b) 27 representatives shall be from national rural networks

(one representative from each Member State);

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Official Journal of the European Union

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(c) 12 representatives shall be from organisations active in the

field of rural development at Community level;

(d) two representatives shall be from the Leader subcommittee

provided for in Article 4;

results of their activities in the form of a final report at a
meeting of
two
years after their creation.

the Coordination Committee at

the latest

Article 4

Leader subcommittee

(e) one representative shall be from a European organisation
representing local action groups referred to in Article 62
of Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005.

The Leader subcommittee to the Coordination committee

1.
is hereby established.

The organisations referred to in paragraph 1(c) shall be
2.
selected by the Commission from the members of the Advisory
group on rural development
established by Commission
Decision 2004/391/EC (1), after having consulted that group.

2.

The Leader subcommittee shall, in particular:

(a) contribute to the work of the Coordination committee;

The Commission shall select for each of the following objectives
a maximum of four organisations whose main purpose and
activity correspond to those objectives:

(b) advise the Commission on the annual work programme of
the European Network for Rural Development concerning
the Leader axis and contribute to the choice and coordi-
nation of thematic work in this field;

(a)

improving the competitiveness of agriculture and forestry;

(b) improving the environment and the countryside;

(c) support the Commission in monitoring the implementation
transnational cooperation projects as provided for in

of
Article 67(f) of Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005;

(c)

improving quality of life in rural areas and diversification of
the rural economy.

(d) regularly report

to the Coordination committee on its

activities.

The organisations selected shall designate one of its members as
representatives in the Coordination committee.

3.
The Leader
members among which:

subcommittee shall be composed of 67

3.
The Coordination committee shall be chaired by a rep-
resentative of the Commission. The chair shall convene the
Coordination committee at least once a year.

Article 3

Thematic working group

(a) 27 representatives shall be from national competent auth-

orities (one representative from each Member State);

(b) 27 representatives shall be from national rural networks

(one representative from each Member State);

1.
A thematic working group established in accordance with
Article 1(2)(d) shall have a defined mandate and shall be chaired
by a representative of the Commission.

(c) one representative shall be from a European organisation
representing local action groups referred to in Article 62
of Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005;

2.
A thematic working group shall not have more than 15
members. The Commission shall designate the members of the
thematic working group taking into account proposals made by
the Coordination committee.

3.
The thematic working groups shall regularly report to the
Coordination committee on the subjects covered by their
the
mandate. The thematic working groups

submit

shall

(d) 12 representatives shall be from organisations active in the

field of rural development at Community level.

4.
The Leader subcommittee shall be chaired by a represen-
tative of the Commission. The chair shall convene the Leader
subcommittee at least once a year.

(1) OJ L 120, 24.4.2004, p. 50.

The Leader subcommittee shall designate two of its members as
representatives in the Coordination committee.

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Article 5

Evaluation expert committee

committee with specific competence on a subject on the
agenda to take part
the committee or the
in the work of
thematic working group.

The Expert committee on evaluation of Rural Devel-
expert

1.
Programmes
opment
committee) is hereby established.

(hereinafter

Evaluation

the

2.
The Evaluation expert committee shall follow the work of
the Evaluation Expert Network referred to in Article 67 (e) of
Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 related to the exchange of
expertise and establishment of best practice on evaluation of
the rural development policy and in particular:

(a) advise the Commission on the annual work programme of

the Evaluation Expert Network;

(b) contribute to the choice and coordination of evaluation

thematic work;

(c) monitor the implementation of ongoing evaluation.

The Evaluation expert committee shall regularly inform the
Coordination committee on its activities.

3.
two
The Evaluation expert committee shall consist of
representatives from each national competent authority and
shall be chaired by a representative of the Commission.

Article 6

Common rules

The committees and thematic working groups normally
in accordance with the

2.
meet on Commission premises
procedures and schedule established by it.

3.
The committees shall adopt their rules of procedure on
the basis of the standard rules of procedure adopted by the
Commission.

The Commission may publish on the Internet,

in the
4.
original
the document concerned, any résumé,
conclusion, or partial conclusion or working document of the
committees.

language of

5.
The Commission shall reimburse travel and subsistence
expenses for members incurred in the context of meetings of
the committees and thematic working groups in accordance
with the provisions in force at the Commission. The members
shall not be paid for their duties.

Article 7

Date of taking effect

The decision shall take effect on the day of its publication in the
Official Journal of the European Union.

Done at Brussels, 20 February 2008.

Representatives of

the Commission and the European
1.
Community agencies with an interest in the proceedings may
attend the committee and thematic working groups meetings.
The chair may invite experts or observers from outside the

For the Commission

Mariann FISCHER BOEL
Member of the Commission