Division 3 SETTING THE COMMUNITY’S PRIORITIES FOR THE RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMING PERIOD 2007 TO 2013

Within the framework of the objectives established in Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005, the strategic guidelines set out below identify priorities for the Community in accordance with Article 9 thereof. The guidelines aim at the integration of major policy priorities as spelt out in the conclusions of the Lisbon and Göteborg European Councils. For each set of priorities, illustrative key actions are presented. On the basis of these strategic guidelines, each Member State will prepare its national strategy plan as the reference framework for the preparation of rural development programmes.

The resources devoted to the Community rural development priorities (within the regulatory minimum funding limits for each axis) will depend on the specific situation, strengths, weaknesses and opportunities of each programme area. Each of the Community priorities, and their contribution to the Lisbon and Göteborg objectives, will need to be reflected at Member State level in the national strategy plan and the rural development programmes. In many cases, there will be national or regional priorities for specific problems related to the agrifood chain or the environmental, climatic and geographical situation of agriculture and forestry. Rural areas may have to deal with other specific issues such as peri-urban pressure, unemployment, remoteness or low population density.