Chapter 14. The Second Pillar of the CAP: Insights from the Mid-term Evaluation of the Rural Development Regulation in France

摘要

Complying with the legal framework of EU Rural Development Regulation 1257/99, the implementation of the rural development pillar of the CAP in France takes over several measures which were already in existence under previous programmes, and institutes significant innovations, reflecting both the evolution of French rural territories and the political choice of a more sustainable and multifunctional agriculture. In particular, its implementation takes the form of a large national programme, called the Plan de Developpement Rural National, associated with the integration of certain rural development provisions under the Objective 2 Single Operational Programmes. Having a clear overall objective in sustainable rural development, the PDRN appears relatively agriculture-centred; besides classical measures such as compensatory payments to less-favoured areas or for support for setting-up young farmers, the PDRN encompasses three major innovations: integration of forestry measures; importance given to agri-environment; and enforcement of the Control Territorial d'Exploitation, a scheme designed to foster the multifunctionality of agriculture (the "Contrat d'Agriculture Durable" scheme replaced the CTE as from 2003). The mid-term evaluation of the PDRN,carried out in 2003, shows its clear effect on guiding agriculture towards more sustainability, and its importance for LFAs. Detailed insights on socio-economic impacts, as well as on the environmental effects of PDRN, are given in the paper. Thanks to its participatory methodology, the evaluation also gave the opportunity of building up a collective expertise on rural development and its future.