Rural Development in Spain

1. Rural Development in Spain Miguel Setuain Resident Twinning Advisor

2. Rural Development Keys of succes in the Spanish regions: …from the beginning, the bet was made on a integral, endogenous and participative development with a territorial basis, not a sectorial basis. ….the Programs of Rural Development are defined and executed on homogenous rural spaces where the agents that are sharing the solidarity must confront common challenges and problems. … the level of consolidation of the local fact, the social cohesion, the values constitute without any doubt key elements for the effectiveness of the designed policies.

3. Rural DevelopmentKeys of succes in the Spanish regions: The introduction of a method, and the proactive attitude that reflects the application of the strategic planning in the formulation of the policies from the beginning of the 90s to present days The approval in the regional Parliament of the Law of Rural Development, like political element that gives the legal force and the legal endorsement of the policies and the programs of rural development beyond the social legitimacy . A wide institutional framework for the rural development prepared to act with an integral vision of the territory

4. SPAIN Mixing … • Horizontal programmes • Regional Programmes

5. Overwiew of programme architecture 2000 - 2006

6. Horizontal programmes: What are the priorities? Four main priorities have been set up for the horizontal programmes: • to rationalize the input by reducing the use of pesticides and irrigation water, by a more integrated management of the holdings, etc. • to improve the viability of the agricultural holdings, by encouraging sustainable and environmental-friendly farming, diversifying the production, etc. • to reorganize the productive sector, • to improve the quality of life and the protection of the natural environment

9. REGIONAL PROGRAMSRural development at regional level In addition to the horizontal programs, each Autonomous Community has designed a Regional Development Plan, taking into account the specific needs and priorities of the region.

10. Each plan includes a selection of measures, in line with the Council Regulations (I) • development and improvement of infrastructure connected with the development of agriculture • encouragement for tourist and craft activities • protection of the environment in connection with agriculture, forestry and landscape conservation as well as with the improvement of animal welfare • restoring agricultural production potential damaged by natural disasters and introducing the appropriate prevention instruments • financial engineering • diversification of agricultural activities and activities close to agriculture to provide multiple activities or alternative incomes • agricultural water resources management -

11. Each plan includes a selection of measures, in line with the Council Regulations (II) • Training • Improving processing and marketing of agricultural products • Forestry measures (on non-agricultural land) • Promoting the adaptation and development of rural areas (art 33): • Land improvement • Re parceling • Setting-up of farm relief and farm management services • Marketing of quality agricultural products • Basic services for the rural economy and population • Renovation and development of villages and protection and conservation of the rural Heritage

12. The Regional Plans Aims the triple dimension of the rural development: • Economic dimension: adaptation, maintenance and creation of employment • Socio cultural dimension: strengthening the social cohesion and valuation of the cultural patrimony • Environmental dimension: conservation and renovation of the available natural resources

13. Important… …to keep in mind that the horizontal and regional programmes go together. • Whereas the horizontal programmes constitutes the main body of support, and address the big structural difficulties within the agrarian sector, the regional programmes add to this the specific support designed for the unique, particular situation of each and every Autonomous Community.

14. AXES: • Improvement of the competitiveness and development of the productive sector • Information Society • Environment, Habitat and Hidric Resources • Human Resources development, Employment equality of opportunities • Local and urban development • Transport and Energy networks • Agriculture and Rural Development

15. ERDF: • support to industrial companies and services, • development, promotion and services to tourism companies, • water supplies, • waste management, • protection and regeneration of the natural surroundings, • infrastructures and equipment for urban and rural municipalities, conservation and rehabilitation of social, sanitary, sport and artistic/cultural patrimony, equipment of leisure, creation of the information society, ports, highways, energy, etc.

16. ESF: • creation of employment, • labor insertion of young people and women, • fight against the horizontal and vertical segregation as well as the wage/salaried discrimination • to favor to the conciliation of the laboral and familial life • opportunities of employment for the groups with an exclusion risk

17. The Community Initiative Leader+ is a complement to the mainstreaming programming. It aims at developing integrated cross-sector strategies for rural areas, which seek to exploit all the potential of the local economy. The local population is actively involved to elaborate and carry out the strategies and to participate in Local Action Groups (LAGs), with equal representation from the public and private sector. The initiative also encourages co-operation and networking between rural areas In Spain was created by many regions complementary programs called PRODER to cover areas and measures not covered by LEADER or LEADER+. The idea was a big success allowing to expand the LEADER approach in new rural areas…. Leader+

18. National Strategic Reference Framework 2007-2013

19. Art.25 General Regulation • The Member State shall present a national strategic reference framework which ensures that assistance from the Funds is consistent with the Community Strategic Guidelines on cohesion, and which identifies the link between Community priorities on the one hand and the national reform programme, on the other hand. • Each national strategic reference framework shall constitute a reference instrument for preparing the programming of the Funds. • The national strategic reference framework will apply to the "Convergence" Objective and the "Regional Competitiveness and Employment" Objective. It may also, if a Member State so decides, apply to the "European Territorial Co-operation" Objective, without prejudice to the future choices of other Member States concerned

20. Art.25 General Regulation • The national strategic reference framework shall contain the following elements: • An analysis of development disparities, weaknesses and potential, taking into account trends in the European and world economy; • The strategy chosen on the basis of this analysis, including the thematic and territorial priorities. Where appropriate these priorities shall include actions relating to sustainable urban development , the diversification of rural economies and areas dependent on fisheries; • The list of operational programmes for the ‘Convergence’ and ‘Regional Competitiveness and Employment’ objectives;

21. Art.25 General Regulation • A description of how the expenditure for Convergence’ and ‘Regional Competitiveness and Employment’ Objectives shall contribute to the EU priorities of promoting competitiveness and creating jobs, including meeting the objectives of the Integrated Guidelines for Growth and Jobs 2005-2008 as laid down in Art 8 (2 bis) • The indicative annual allocation from each Fund by programme; • For regions of the ‘Convergence’ objective only: the action envisaged for reinforcing the Member State’s administrative efficiency; the amount of the total annual appropriation provided for under the EAFRD and the EFF; the information required for ex-ante verification of compliance with the additionality principle referred to in Art 13

22. Art. 25 General Regulation The national strategic reference framework may also contain, where relevant: (a) the procedure for co-ordination between Community cohesion policy and the relevant national, sectoral and regional policies of the Member State concerned; (b) the mechanisms for ensuring co-ordination between the operational programmes and the assistance from the Funds, the EAFRD, the EFF, and the interventions of the EIB and of other existing financial instruments

23. NSFR and NRP • Correspondences were identified among the axes of the NRP and the NSFR • New actions to be financed are developed under the SF in relation with the specific priorities and measures of the NRP • Lisbon and Cohesion have common points but are not the same. Special emphasis will be put on the links to those 2 strategies, with the differences among the 2 strategies and trying to offer additional financing lines for some of the NRP measures

24. Focus over Lisbon objectives • The strategic guidelines have an obvious orientation through Lisbon objectives. As long as the NSFR will have to follow the Strategic Guidelines this concentration will be ensured • For the programming process, work in on progress on establishing some Lisbon indicators. It is needed to transform the national objectives into regional objectives • The next base for 2007 Funds, the Lisbon indicators will be established at the regional level

25. RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN SPAIN: EU FUNDS COORDINATION INTERMINISTRY COMMITTEE OF EU FUNDING

26. COORDINATION BETWEEN PROGRAMSSectorial Commitees

27. Planning Spain NSRFEDRF (Convergence) • Axe 1 Development of Knowledge Society (I+D+I, Information Society and ICT) • Axe 2: Development and enterprise innovation • Axe 3: Environment, Natural, Hydraulic Resources and risk prevention • Axe 4: Transport and energy • Axe 5: Local and Urban sustainable development • Axe 6: Social Infrastructures • Axe 7: Technical Assistance and institutional capacity support

28. Planning NSRF:ERDF (Competitivenness) • Axe 1: Knowledge and Innovation and entrepreneurial development • Axe 2: Environment, and risk preventions • Axe 3: Accessibility to the networks and transport services and telecommunications • Axe 4:Local and Urban sustainable development • Axe 5: Technical Assistance

29. Planning the NSRF: • The names and the number of axes can change • Financial weight of each axis change in relation with the current period.

30. Rural Development 2007-2013 SPAIN

31. Reg. (ECE) 1698/2005, related to the support for Rural Development through EFRD Communitary Strategical Guidelines National Framework National Strategic Plan Cataluna Extremadura Galicia Madrid Murcia Navarra La Rioja Comunidad Valenciana Pais Vasco Regional Programmes: Andalucia Aragon Asturias Baleares Canarias Cantabria Castilla Leon Castilla la Mancha

32. Programming National framework • Elaborate after the ENP • Approved by EC Decision • Content: common elements for the regional programs: horizontal measures and general criteria , very basic Regional programs • Elaborate after the national Framework • Approved by EC Decision • 17 Regional Programs, one for each Autonomous Community • Content: • evaluation a priori • Justification of the priorities • Axes, measures by axe, objectives and indicators • Financial framework of the FEADER contribution, national contribution and contribution by axe • Control, Monitoring and Evaluation mechanism • Application of the LEADER approach • Ways to give publicity to the Program

33. National Strategic Plan1a. General content General analyse of the environmental and socioeconomic situation. • General strategy of rural development, translation of the EC priorities included in the community directrices to the national level • Strategy by axes including objectives and common indicators to be used in the programming exercise.

34. National Strategic Plan (NSP)1b. General content. The rural development programs (in the case of Spain 17 regional programs) and the indicative allocation of funds, including the amounts to achieve convergence (in Spain for the Autonomous Communities of Andalucía, Castilla - La Mancha, Extremadura y Galicia) External and internal consistency of the NSP, complementarities with other EU financial instruments Funds and setting up of the National Rural Network

35. Proposal of Horizontal Measures. • Regulation 1698/05, the EC guidance document and the guide for the NSP allow the existence of regional and horizontal measures

36. Axis 1: Improving the competitiveness of the agricultural and forestry sector Axis 2: Improving the environment and the country side Axis 3: the quality of life in rural areas and diversification of the rural economy Regulation structures for the measures - 3 thematic axes

37. Proposal of horizontal measuresaxis 1 • Setting up of young farmers • Modernizing the holdings; direct help and loan lines • Management of the hydraulic resources – more rational use of water resources in order to fulfill the Water Directive Framework demands • Increase the added value of the agricultural and forestry products

38. Proposal of horizontal measuresaxis 2 • Agro environmental contract – will simplify the rural development, facilitate the administrative management, and the improvement of the environment connected with the agriculture. (Some general criteria are established for all the territory. At a national level, awards in monetary incentives, for the lagging development regions and Supplementary help for regions of the Natura Network) • Ecological agri - food stuff, integrated and extensive agro systems • Dryness and prevention of forest fires

39. 1. Agroenviromental measures …. € 2. …. € 2. livestock welfare …. € 2. …. € 3. Network Natura 2000 …. € 2. …. € 4. Zones with natural difficulties …. € 2. …. € TOTAL: ……... Horizontal criteria: Autonomous Community criteria: Proposal for Horizontal MeasuresAgroenvironmental Covenant

40. Proposal of Horizontal MeasuresLEADER approach • Management, through Local Action Group of 10 % of the programme financing; • It is up to the Autonomous Community to increase this percentage; • Defined (within the National Framework) the composition of the Groups including also the agricultural associations

41. The National Framework Must include also the basic characteristics of the rest of the rural development programming not included inside the horizontal measures and also the percentage of co financing FEADER, General Administration, and The Autonomous Community for each one of the measures

42. The National Framework Monitoring Committee – structured as a plenary assembly and made of by specific working groups, according to geographic criteria, for the convergence regions and regions not included in the convergence objective and according to horizontal measures, and another one by the measure established within the national Framework

43. CANTABRIA Surface: 5 231 km² (1 % of the country surface) Number of inhabitants: 530 000 (101inh/km²) 3 % arable land Land use: 27 % meadows and pastures 52 % wooded area Most important products: Milk and dairy products

44. CANTABRIA • UAA (used agricultural area): 159 000 ha • No of agricultural holdings: 16 400 • Average size of holdings: 13 ha • Agric. area in less favored Area: 78 % • Agric. area in Mountain area: 78 % • Irrigation: is of minor importance: 2 600 ha (of which 89 % with sprinkler system) • Organic farming: 842 ha - 62 producers and processors

45. CANTABRIA • farm holders younger than 35 years: 9 % • farm holders older than 55 years: 52 % • How many women among farm holders? 36 % • Final agrarian production: livestock farming represents 88 % • Forest fires: yearly average 1991-99: 333 fires, covering 3 800 ha • Natura 2000: 18 sites – 118 700 ha (23 % of total surface) • National Parks: Part of Picos de Europa, 15 200 ha (total area is 64.660 ha, • located also in Castile-Leon and Asturias) • Nitrates Directive: (no vulnerable areas)

46. CANTABRIA

47. FINANCING RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN CANTABRIA

48. Local Action Groups Non profit entity made of a group of public entities (mainly city halls) and social organizations rooted at the local level

49. To be constituted as a group with juridical personality, whose final aim is the application of a development strategy for a specific territory Requirements for the selection of Local Action Groups to implement a rural program for economic diversification

50. Local Action Group Composition: public or/and private institutions acting regularly in the territory and ensuring a high level of participation of the people of that area, allowing them to take decisions together with the administration (at least 50% of the members of the decisional bodies in the Local Action Group must be representatives of the socioeconomic field or associations)