The EU rural development policy 2007-2013

With over half of the population in the 25 Member States of the European Union (EU) living in rural areas, which cover 90% of the territory, rural development is a vitally important policy area. Farming and forestry remain crucial for land use and the management of natural resources in the EU’s rural areas, and as a platform for economic diversification in rural communities.

The strengthening of EU rural development policy has become an overall EU priority. Following the fundamental reform of the first pillar of the common agricultural policy (CAP) in 2003 and 2004, the Agricultural Council adopted in September 2005 a fundamental reform of rural development policy for the period 2007 to 2013 on the basis of the European Commission’s proposal of 14 July 2004.