Rural Development Working Group

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The objective of the WG is to integrate the concept of sustainability into the agricultural and rural development policy in CEE countries with a view to maintain and enhance biodiversity in rural areas. We also promote the integration of conservation principles into agriculture and improve the quality of life in the countryside.

Introduction

Agricultural management plays a key role in the maintenance of valued cultural landscapes as well as biodiversity-rich farmlands all over Europe. Two main tendencies are identified as menacing factors of nature values, namely intensification and land abandonment. Once these two tendencies and their negative impacts are identified, it is of great importance to interfere and influence the driving forces behind them.
Taking into consideration all these threats and with regards to the needs of preparation of CEE countries -being mostly EU candidates- for the EU accession and for the implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy, CEEWEB's Annual Meeting in April 2003 decided to establish an Agri-environment Working Group (AE WG). This Working Group changed the name in 2006 (Rural Development WG), because the members would like to deal with other aspects as well, like food and seed soveregnity, quality of life in the coutryside, rural development strategies and plans.

Goals of the Rural Development WG

• Influence policy makers at national and EU level for giving a higher priority to ecosocial dimensions of agriculture.
  
  
• Assess the special problems of rural areas in CEE countries
  
  
• Ensure the knowledge and information exchange regarding rural development policy and its relevance to nature conservation within the CEE region to reach a common level of understanding to form and articulate common positions.
  
  
• Maintain the communication and information channel between the Commission and CEE NGOs
  
  
• Raise the profile and empower NGOs in CEE countries for playing an active role in consultation processes
  
  
• Disseminate best practices on sustainable rural development projects in selected CEE countries
  
  
• Build capacity of NGOs potentially dealing with agriculture and rural development in the CEE region.
  
  
• Advocate specific CEE concerns regarding agriculture and rural development in the work of the European Parliament and of various bodies of the Commission and the Council
  
  
• Deepen the cooperation with other NGOs on agriculture and rural development issues

With suggestions or questions please contact Gyula Kiss, coordinator of the Working Group.