On 4 July, Mr Dacian Cioloş, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development spoke at the 102nd plenary session of the Committee of the Regions where he presented the main results of the agreement on the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy reached last week in the European Council.
Addressing the Commissioner, CoR rapporteur on the issue of the sustainability of rural areas, Mr Jerzy Zajakala expressed his deep concern with the significant reduction of funds available for rural development policies within the reformed CAP and asked whether this decrease will be compensated using other European structural funds. Mr Zajakala also referred to the issue of rural-urban partnerships, stressing that it is of utmost importance to create a level playing field between urban and adjacent rural areas, which would enable better distribution of funds. In the end, he stressed that there is more to growth in rural areas than just farming and that the EU needs to engage itself more to provide for a comprehensive development and continuity of rural areas all over the continent.
Mr Zajakala's opinion on the sustainability of rural areas will be discussed in the CoR's NAT commission on 18 July in Kaunas, Lithuania. The adoption at the plenary session is envisaged for October this year.
