ESPON SEMINAR
GAIA
Luxembourg, 15 december2010
Centro Interuniversitario Europeo di Studi e di Formazione per lo Sviluppo Rurale e Locale Sostenibile
Rural Regions in Europe:
territorial potentials and main challenges
Policy expectations
Daniela Toccaceli
Researcher University of Florence
International association
Rurality-Environment-Development
www.ruraleurope.org
GAIA
ESPON SEMINAR
Luxembourg, 15 december2010
Centro Interuniversitario Europeo di Studi e di Formazione per lo Sviluppo Rurale e Locale Sostenibile
Red proposal
•A European rural model which improves the
contributions of rural territories to the main stakes and
objectives of the European Union.
•A European model based on:
• the enhancement of rural society
• a territorial approach
• cooperation and positive relationships between town
and country
• the acknowledgement of rural pole of development
International association
Rurality-Environment-Development
www.ruraleurope.org
GAIA
ESPON SEMINAR
Luxembourg, 15 december2010
Centro Interuniversitario Europeo di Studi e di Formazione per lo Sviluppo Rurale e Locale Sostenibile
The rural poles of development: a strong and essential
component of cohesion
Rural development pole is defined as:
A rural development pole is an inhabited, significantly rural area where the social,
economic and territorial evolutions are led within the framework of an integrated and
prospective development plan. A rural pole is not an agglomeration, but a rural territory
as a whole, which may include one or more small towns.
The territorial development plan determines the objectives of results in short, medium
and long terms. It specifies the guidelines for development, the human and material
means to achieve the results targeted.
The civil society, public and private actors must be partner for its development and its
assessment.
Ex CEMAT Glossary of key expressions used in spatial
development policies in Europe (Lisbon, 2006)
International association
Rurality-Environment-Development
www.ruraleurope.org
ESPON SEMINAR
GAIA
Luxembourg, 15 december2010
Centro Interuniversitario Europeo di Studi e di Formazione per lo Sviluppo Rurale e Locale Sostenibile
The need for a European rural strategy
1. The Common Agricultural Policy cannot be the sole instrument for
development of rural territories.
2. The widening gap among rural territories asks for a specific
territorial approach to rural development, alongside existing
policies.
3. A specific European policy for rural territories needs better
harmonising the various general guidelines and programmes
already in place.
International association
Rurality-Environment-Development
www.ruraleurope.org
ESPON SEMINAR
GAIA
Luxembourg, 15 december2010
Centro Interuniversitario Europeo di Studi e di Formazione per lo Sviluppo Rurale e Locale Sostenibile
Aim of the European rural territories strategy
►Rural territories become real poles of development, in
a strong and balanced interrelation with urban poles.
• Through their contribution and potential in terms of
sustainable development, rural territories are key
partners for the construction of Europe.
• The functions of rural territories are fast-changing and
therefore
call
for
specific
support
and
other
accompanying measures.
International association
Rurality-Environment-Development
www.ruraleurope.org
GAIA
ESPON SEMINAR
Luxembourg, 15 december2010
Centro Interuniversitario Europeo di Studi e di Formazione per lo Sviluppo Rurale e Locale Sostenibile
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Objectives of the European rural territories strategy
Consolidation of local economies
Public /private partnerships
Territorial cohesion by the mitigation of disparities also by the
maintenance of public services and transport and communication
infrastructures ;
Creation/strengthening of knowledge-sharing networks;
Redeployment of multifunctional farming/agriculture into step with
society;
Preservation of biodiversity and the environment;
Fighting climate change, global warming and natural disasters;
Enhancement of rural heritage and cultures in their diversity ;
Greater citizen participation through bottom-up methods of
governance;
Capacity-building of local institutions and populations;
Integration of young people and women onto the salaried or selfemployed labour market.
International association
Rurality-Environment-Development
www.ruraleurope.org
ESPON SEMINAR
GAIA
Luxembourg, 15 december2010
Centro Interuniversitario Europeo di Studi e di Formazione per lo Sviluppo Rurale e Locale Sostenibile
Methodological principles of rural
development






Territory and master plan
Participative and integrated development
Collective implementation and local partnerships
Overarching material and immaterial investments
Cooperation between rural territories and networking
A culture of assessment
 Coherence between development measures
International association
Rurality-Environment-Development
www.ruraleurope.org
GAIA
ESPON SEMINAR
Luxembourg, 15 december2010
Centro Interuniversitario Europeo di Studi e di Formazione per lo Sviluppo Rurale e Locale Sostenibile
…there is a
widespread need for
new (place based)
instruments and
methodological
model in Europe
The example of Maremma’s Rural
District (Tuscany –Italy)
International association
Rurality-Environment-Development
www.ruraleurope.org
GAIA
ESPON SEMINAR
Luxembourg, 15 december2010
Centro Interuniversitario Europeo di Studi e di Formazione per lo Sviluppo Rurale e Locale Sostenibile
A New instrument: the European Grouping
of Territorial Development (EGTD)
Going beyond the experiences and procedures of
 Leader Local Action Groups (LAGs)
 European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (ETCG)
EGTD aims to facilitate and to accompany actions which
contribute to strengthening social, economic and territorial
cohesion.
International association
Rurality-Environment-Development
www.ruraleurope.org
ESPON SEMINAR
GAIA
Luxembourg, 15 december2010
Centro Interuniversitario Europeo di Studi e di Formazione per lo Sviluppo Rurale e Locale Sostenibile
…a new tool for local governance:
the COUNCIL of the EGTD
 The concept of “Local Action Groups” was crucial for the
success of Leader approach. The Commission should
take similar initiative in order to give efficient tools for
the territorial cohesion.
 The Council’s members would be both institutional partners
of the EGTD and socioeconomic and associative actors on
the territory.
 Its main tasks would consist in designing the
development pole strategy and programming its
actions.
International association
Rurality-Environment-Development
www.ruraleurope.org
GAIA
ESPON SEMINAR
Luxembourg, 15 december2010
Centro Interuniversitario Europeo di Studi e di Formazione per lo Sviluppo Rurale e Locale Sostenibile
...and a new European Fund for Rural
Development and Territorial Agriculture
Next to a Fund helping market activities of agriculture and
forestry, the EFRDTA finances the rural development policy.
This rural policy is built up around 3 stakes and an Observatory
of rural territories assists it in its implementation :
➡ stake 1: formulation and implementation of integrated
projects for the sustainable development of rural poles
➡ stake 2: adaptation of farms and forestry holdings within the
overall context of territorial development
➡ stake 3: training, engineering and knowledge-sharing
International association
Rurality-Environment-Development
www.ruraleurope.org
ESPON SEMINAR
GAIA
Luxembourg, 15 december2010
Centro Interuniversitario Europeo di Studi e di Formazione per lo Sviluppo Rurale e Locale Sostenibile
Thank you for your attention
References:
RURALITY‐ENVIRONMENT‐DEVELOPMENT
international association R.E.D.
presidency of the Advisory Group on Rural Development of the European Commission
member of the Coordination Comitee of the European Network of Rural Development
Rue des Potiers, 304, B‐6717 Attert
tel :+32/63230490 – fax : +32 63230499 ‐
[email protected] ‐ www.ruraleurope.org
GAIA - UNIVERSITY CENTRE FOR RURAL AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT
UNIVERSITY OF FLORENCE
Via Miele, 3 I-50127 Firenze
Tel: +390554374613 - fax: +390554374105
[email protected] – [email protected]
International association
Rurality-Environment-Development
www.ruraleurope.org