Minister presses for early approval of rural development programme

Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Michelle Gildernew MP MLA, is pressing for early approval of the Rural Development Programme.

The Minister has stressed to the European Commission the need for early approval. Speaking after a visit to Brussels where she met Senior Advisors in Commissioner Fischer Boel’s Cabinet. She said: “When the Commissioner visited Belfast last month I stressed to her the importance of the Rural Development Programme and the need for early approval. She was very supportive of our plans for rural communities.

“I have followed this up by meeting today with her Chef de Cabinet and Principal Advisor on Rural Development to ensure that a process to secure approval for the Programme is agreed. The officials have assured me that they will do their utmost with DARD to ensure the Programme is approved at the July meeting of the Rural Development Committee. This is very good news for all rural dwellers and would make our programme among the first approved in Europe”.

Michelle Gildernew went on to stress the benefits of the Rural Development Programme for rural communities. She said: “The Programme will provide over £500m in support over the next six years. Over 75% of this will go directly to support the farming sector. This means more training for farmers, support for farm modernisation, continued payments to those in less favoured areas, increased potential to develop forestry and an expansion of agri-farming schemes.

“The Programme also contains measures to support farm diversification, to support the creation of businesses, to increase tourism potential, to regenerate villages and towns, to provide basic services to rural communities and to maintain and enhance cultural and natural heritage.

“This programme is focused on vastly improving the quality of life in rural areas. I believe strongly in the principle of local communities developing strategies and plans to meet local needs. Local Action Groups will play an important part in delivering rural regeneration measures and I am anxious that we press ahead and get the funding to the people who need it.”

The Minister also raised with the Commission the scope for greater simplification in the way the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is administered. She stressed the need for greater flexibility particularly where there are only small discrepancies in farmers’ claims. The Commission explained that they were currently considering the scope for less bureaucracy in the context of their recent report on cross compliance.

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. Michelle Gildernew met with Poul Skytte Christofferson, Chef de Cabinet to Commissioner Fischer Boel and Christina Borschman the Commissioner’s Principal Advisor on Rural Development.
2. The Rural Development Programme without voluntary modulation was formally submitted to the European Commission on 4 January 2007 – this was the first UK Programme submitted. The Programme will be amended later to include money raised through voluntary modulation.
3. Earlier this week the Minister announced rates of voluntary modulation which would apply from 2007 to 2013, the receipts from which will be used to help fund the Programme.
4. To date the European Commission has approved two rural development programmes. These were for Sweden and the Czech Republic.
5. All media queries to DARD Press Office, Tel: 028 9052 4619.