80 likes | 87 Views
Facilitating exchange of experiences and best practices in agriculture and rural development, supporting Eastern European partners in developing sector policies, and promoting networking and bilateral cooperation.
E N D
The Eastern Partnership Panel on Agriculture and Rural Development • Dominik Olewinski • European Commission • Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum: Working Group 2 Conference • 9 July 2015
Origins • ENPARD launched in 2011 • European Commission contracts FAO to carry out assessment of the ARD sectors in each of the six EaP partner countries and to identify common challenges • Regional technical workshop in Brussels on 19 November 2012 discusses the results and proposes a more permanent forum • Formal launch of the ARD Panel on 22 November 2012 under EaP Platform 2 "Economic Integration and Convergence with EU policies"
Objectives • Facilitate the exchange of experiences and best practices in sustainable and inclusive development of agriculture and rural areas – solutions used in the EU, EaP and other countries • In this way, to serve to support the 6 Eastern European partners in developing and implementing their own sector policies and measures, including through ENPARD • To ensure synergies between the policies and measures undertaken by the Partner Countries, facilitating the work of development actors such as the EU • Facilitating networking and establishing closer bilateral cooperation between the members of the Panel • Activities: presentation and discussions, selection of subjects for discussion, more specific events: seminars, trainings
Work programme • Policy responses to fragmented land holdings and ways of increasing the attractiveness of producer cooperation and integration; • Building a rural development policy, assigning competence or budget resources; • Practical solutions to increase the level of professionalism and training in rural communities and to develop advisory services; • Definition of a regional codex for good agricultural practices; • Identifying and addressing gaps in standards, regulations, legislation and comparative information; • Developing the food safety system: phytosanitary-veterinary; • Gradual update of technology and appropriate infrastructure and drafting of realistic investment plans in rural areas; • Food security in strategic cereal and animal origin products; • Potential solutions to limited finance and viable credit in rural areas; • Community led local development (LEADER type activities); • Diversification of activitiesin rural areas; • Regulation and restructuration of agricultural markets; • Reforming/reorganising agricultural science and education/professional development of specialists
Participants and involvement of civil society • ARD Panel meets at the level of experts from: • Public authorities from the 6 Eastern European partner countries (up to 3 participants reimbursed by the EC) • EU Member States, EU institutions (COM, EESC, EP), international organisations (FAO, OECD), financial institutions (EIB, EBRD) • Civil Society representatives: • Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum – 2 participants in each meeting nominated by the CSF Secretariat, • 1 Participant per each of the six Eastern European partners (invited directly by the Commission)
Meetings • 3 meetings in Brussels • 13 May 2013 – what is rural development, the EU approach to agriculture and rural development; the importance and key steps in preparation of a national strategy for rural development; and role of producer organisations and forms of public support fostering cooperation among farmers. • 16 January 2014 – improving the level of professionalism among farmers and wider in rural areas, prepared also the ministerial meeting in Chisinau, • 11 November 2014 – land fragmentation and land consolidation • November 2015 - ? • 15-16 April 2015 - conference on "Rural and Agricultural Advisory Systems in the EaP" jointly organised by the EC and the Latvian Presidency in Riga • Panel's work programme envisages also more specific events (seminars, trainings, study visits) to be organised with the involvement and contributions of the interested EU Members States.
Added value • For the partners: new ideas for solutions in the sector (example of private advisory systems emerging in Armenia after the Panel meeting on improving agricultural advisory services) • For the EC: ENPARD in 3 partner countries on-going – synergies and linkages (for those not so actively engaged with the EU in the sector – opportunity to follow the developments) • For the EU MSs - a unique multilateral forum to listen to the challenges and needs of sector in the EaP partner countries • Visibility to the sector: Panel prepared the Eastern Partnership Conference of Agriculture Ministers on 23 January 2014, Chisinau