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To contribute to the achievement of the Common Agricultural Policy's objectives while integrating some major policy priorities for competitiveness and sustainable development

Additional information:
The Europe 2020 Strategy, the EU Environmental Action Programme 2020 and the 2020 Climate and Energy Package are just as relevant to the countryside as to the towns and cities. The EU's rural development policy is all about meeting the challenges faced by rural areas, and unlocking their potential.

Theoretically, individual EU Member States could decide and operate completely independent rural development policies. However, this approach would work poorly in practice. Not all countries in the EU would be able to afford the policy which they needed. Moreover, many of the issues addressed through rural development policy do not divide up neatly at national or regional boundaries, but affect people further (for example pollution crosses borders all too easily; and more generally, environmental sustainability has become a European and international concern).

Member States build their 2014-2020 Rural Development Programmes based upon at least four of the six common EU priorities.
1. fostering knowledge transfer and innovation in agriculture, forestry and rural areas;
2. enhancing the viability / competitiveness of all types of agriculture, and promoting innovative farm technologies and sustainable forest management;
3. promoting food chain organisation, animal welfare and risk management in agriculture;
4. restoring, preserving and enhancing ecosystems related to agriculture and forestry;
5. promoting resource efficiency and supporting the shift toward a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy in the agriculture, food and forestry sectors;
6. promoting social inclusion, poverty reduction and economic development in rural areas.

To improve the economic and environmental performance of agricultural holdings and rural enterprises; To contribute to the development of infrastructure needed for the development of agriculture and forestry and support non-remunerative investments necessary to achieve environmental aims; To contribute to the maintenance of sustainable agricultural structures; To serve multiple economic, social and environmental priorities at once

To prevent the negative consequences of natural disasters, adverse climatic events and catastrophic events

To promote renewable energy; To support the drawing-up of protection and management plans relating to Natura 2000 sites and other places of high natural value, environmental awareness actions and investments associated with maintenance, restoration and upgrading of the natural heritage and with the development of high natural value sites

To contribute to the achievement of most crucial environmental, societal and economic targets of the rural development policy; To establish forests and agroforestry systems, prevent and restore damaged forests

Additional information:

Forests has important role in management of natural resources, forests provide key ecosystem services, such as sequestering carbon, protecting soil and water, preserving biodiversity, supplying energy and raw material for a low carbon economy, while allowing recreational activities.

A separate support scheme is dedicated to operations of forest-environmental and climate services and forest conservation.

To preserve and promote the necessary changes to agricultural practices that make a positive contribution to the environment and climate

To promote the conversion to or / and maintenance of organic farming practices with a view to encourage farmers to participate in such schemes, thus answering society's demand for the use of environmentally friendly farm practices

To encourage continued use of agricultural land, contribute to maintaining the countryside and to maintain and promote sustainable farming systems

To support joint action undertaken with a view to mitigating or adapting to climate change as well as environmental projects and practices, horizontal and vertical co-operation among supply chain actors in the sustainable provision of biomass, Public-private partnerships / non-LEADER local development strategies, drawing-up of forest management plans, diversification of farming activities into activities concerning health care, social integration, community-supported agriculture and education about the environment and food

To compensate affiliated farmers for losses to their animals, crops, and plants caused by crisis events including adverse climatic events, animal and plant diseases, pest infestations, and environmental incidents