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For debate in the Standing Committee see Rule 15 of the Rules of Procedure
Pour débat ŕ la Commission permanente – Voir article 15 du Rčglement
Doc. 9186
31 August 2001
Role of interregional co-operation for agricultural and rural development
Report
Committee on the Environment and Agriculture
Rapporteur: Mr Ryszard Smolarek, Poland, Group of the European People's Party
Summary
Changes in the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy as well as free-market oriented reforms of agriculture in the countries of central and eastern Europe have been encountering difficulties. The regions of central and eastern Europe must cope with the problems of poor knowledge and little experience in the free market economy, and particularly with the lack of resources and of adequate legal regulations, and with underdevelopment of infrastructures to service the agricultural sector.
Transfrontier and interregional cooperation between local and regional authorities in the field of agriculture and rural development can help to overcome these difficulties. Such cooperation can especially be facilitated by the Council of Europe’s existing legal instruments and by the European Union financial and technical cooperation programmes.
I. Draft resolution
1. European agriculture has undergone far-reaching changes during the past few years. Following the privatisation of land and their transition to a market economy, the transformation of the rural sector is crucial for the economic and political stability of central and east European countries.
2. The Assembly considers that the process of transforming and adapting agriculture should take place on several levels, from the farm itself to central government, via the village and the region. It notes that the considerable resources required for this change are not always available under national and European programmes.
3. Cross-border and interregional co-operation can have extremely beneficial effects on agriculture and rural development and can also play a part in alleviating the drawbacks associated with the existence of borders and improving the local residents’ quality of life.
4. In this connection, the Assembly is pleased to note that a large number of interregional co-operation initiatives have been carried out successfully in a variety of forms, such as cross-border and interregional agreements or Euroregions, supplementing the limited resources available for assisting the transformation and modernisation of the farming sector and the economic development of rural regions.
5. The Assembly welcomes the fact that initiatives of this kind create close links between European countries and regions, in line with the Council of Europe’s basic aim of achieving “a greater unity between its members”. It wholeheartedly encourages the development of such initiatives, which contribute to the whole process of European integration.
6. The Assembly therefore invites member states and European regions:
i. to develop closer links in terms of agricultural co-operation and rural development, allowing other European regions to benefit from their experience, skills and technology by placing their human, financial and technical resources at the disposal of less-advanced regions;
ii. to promote trade in agricultural produce in order to make better use of their respective production advantages and to enhance the complementary nature of their agricultural sectors;
iii. to promote the production of regional agricultural produce of certified quality and origin in order to adapt to new market conditions and consumer demand, while allowing for a better traceability;
iv. to co-operate in developing agro-industrial and trade outlets for products in regions where such outlets are non-existent or obsolete, with a view to consolidating the agro-industrial sector, making it more competitive and contributing to rural and socio-economic development in these regions;
v. to promote an integrated form of rural development, taking account of the multifunctional nature of agriculture, environmental constraints and social needs in a context of widespread change in the agriculture sector and the regions;
vi. to devise jointly-agreed rural development programmes, particularly with the regions of central and eastern Europe, in areas such as farmer training, improving farm infrastructure, new farming techniques and practices, financial and trade support, organisation of agricultural services (such as banks, insurance, land registers and professional organisations), development of the agri-food industry, environmental conservation, and promotion of agricultural tourism;
vii. to promote cross-border and interregional agreements on agricultural and rural development, in particular:
a. by making use of the Council of Europe’s existing legal instruments, such as the European Outline Convention on Transfrontier Co-operation between Territorial Communities or Authorities (Madrid, 1980), as supplemented by its additional Protocol (Strasbourg, 1995) and its Protocol No. 2 on interterritorial co-operation (Strasbourg, 1998), where these have been ratified by the member state concerned;
b. by submitting projects for European Union financial and technical co-operation programmes and instruments at national or regional level, such as SAPARD, PHARE, INTERREG, LEADER+ and TACIS, eligibility for which varies according to the category of the countries concerned (member states, applicant states or others).
7. The Assembly calls on the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe, the European Union’s Committee of the Regions and European associations of local and regional authorities to step up their efforts and initiatives to promote rural development and interregional co-operation in this field, especially in the regions of central and eastern Europe.
II. Explanatory memorandum by Mr Smolarek
CONTENTS
Page
1. INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………….. 4
2. BURGAS-ALSACE PILOT PROJECT ………………………………………………… 6
a. The beginnings and motives of working out the Burgas-Alsace project …………… 6
b. The course of cooperation between Burgas and Alsace:
- Training …………………………………………………………………………… 6
- Privatisation and reviving production ……………………………………………. 7
- Vocational organisations ………………………………………………………….. 7
- Technological cooperation ………………………………………………………… 7
3. POLISH EXPERIENCE ………………………………………………………………… 7
- Introduction ………………………………………………………………………… 7
- The establishment and functioning of Euro-Regions in Poland …………………… 8
- Examples of interregional cooperation in Poland …………………………………. 10
4. DEVELOPMENTS IN INTERREGIONAL COOPERATION IN AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT ……………………………………………………………… 11
a. Transfrontier cooperation ……………………………………………………………. 11
b. Cooperation with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe ……………………… 13
5. CONCLUSIONS …………………………………………………………………………. 14
1. Introduction
1. The nineteen-nineties ushered in profound changes in the whole of Europe. These were related with systemic changes taking place in East-Central Europe. The European Union faced new challenges, too.
2. These changes have been seriously affecting the rural sector in the countries of East-Central Europe. Transition from the command-and-quota system to that of the free market have turned the agricultural sector upside down. The mass of former workers of state farms and of restructured businesses, now made redundant, have joined the throngs of the unemployed.
3. The privatisation of land - not everywhere carried out with a due consideration and in a rational manner - has placed new farmers in a very difficult position. Unfavourable market circumstances (huge food imports from the West), lack of resources and poor infrastructure as regards servicing agriculture (e.g. absence of wholesale markets) made the situation even worse.
4. That is why, for the sake of the development of agriculture and the countryside, it is necessary to develop manifold forms of cross-border cooperation as well as that between regions and states.
5. The Euroregion is a bilateral or multilateral legal transfrontier entity with a strictly predetermined area perimeter, established on the territories of Signatory States. The Euroregion Statute defines the aims and scope of Euroregion activities and the European Framework Convention on Transfrontier Cooperation between the Communities and Territorial Authorities lays down the general rules for the Euroregion. The establishment of Euroregions is seen as a practical way of revitalising transfrontier cooperation. Cooperation within the Euroregion takes effect by the Parties’ common, unanimous and voluntary consent. The agents of this cooperation are both self-governments and bodies of State administration.
6. In the area of agriculture, cooperation between Euroregions is to enable the application of methods and technologies that will:
- accelerate the pace of economic growth of an entire region,
- help to bridge the differences in standards of agriculture development,
- lay down the groundwork for a multifunctional development of rural areas, which stands for the effort to create new, non-agricultural jobs in rural areas,
- furnish the conditions for prospective competition between farmers from Central and East European Countries and EU farmers,
- lay emphasis on supplementary payments to farmers’ incomes rather than agricultural production,
- lead to the accurate census of farm and land holdings, and the application of financial accounting rules by farmers.
7. Cooperation between Euroregions will facilitate the movement of people, ideas, technologies, goods and capital by, among other means:
- preserving the landscape, cultural values and historical heritage of the regions,
- disseminating state-of-the-art technologies, with ethical considerations,
- ensuring renewability of energy and resources,
- providing conditions for a substantial degree of producer organisation (branch associations and marketing groups) and the development of advanced agricultural market structures– commodity exchange boards, wholesale markets, market information systems and export promotion.
8. Cooperation between Euroregions gives a precise shape to activity programmes that set out to materialise the objectives of sustainable development. The joint action framework features the following programmes: for production growth and renewable energy uses, regional networking in programme implementation, demonstration sites and pilot projects, education and training courses, development of Virtual Research Institute for sustainable agricultural growth, drafting and enforcement of relevant legal regulations.
9. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, through the mediation of the Committee on Environment and Agriculture, has been willing to bear a helping hand and give advice to the countries restructuring their respective agricultural sector. At the same time, the Parliamentary Assembly has been urging Member States to establish cooperation and show solidarity.
10. The Parliamentary Assembly has adopted several texts - Recommendation 1174 (1992) on pan-European cooperation in the field of agriculture, Resolution 1039 (1994) on rural and agricultural reform in the new democracies of Central and Eastern Europe, and Resolution 1161 (1998) on the transition process in agriculture in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe - are three of them.
11. The Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development and Food has also organised relevant conferences: the Third East-West Agricultural Forum in Berlin, in January 19961, the Pan-European Parliamentary Conference on Rural Development in Bratislava, in May 19972, and the Colloquy on the Role of Inter-Regional Co-Operation for Agricultural and Rural Development in Warsaw, in October 19993.
2. Burgas-Alsace pilot project
a. The beginnings and motives for working out the Burgas-Alsace project
12. The project on cooperation in rural and agricultural development between Alsace and Burgas was conceived under the auspices of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the Bulgarian National Assembly in November 1993. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe chose those two regions because of the similarities of their respective geography and kind of production.
13. The systemic transformation in Bulgaria and transition to market economy created serious difficulties in agriculture and the countryside. As a result of the winding up of farming cooperatives and of the political and economic turmoil, agricultural production fell rapidly. Alarming inflation, too, had its painful impact, with the level of production declining markedly below its capacities.
14. Ignorance of and inexperience in market economy, decrease in internal consumption and in exports, problems with the financing of investments and capital goods, and mistakes made at the time of privatisation are just some of the problems that had to be overcome.
15. It was under such circumstances that cooperation between Alsace and Burgas was established. Its modest and realistic aims were set at a regional level.
b. The course of cooperation between Burgas and Alsace
Training
16. That sort of cooperation was seen primarily as a forum for the discussion and exchange of views among different people from those two regions, which could help spread the idea of European integration through contacts between peoples. Such a forum could also present an occasion to instruct each other at various levels (supervisory staff, technicians and farmers themselves). Popularisation of methods of production and of new technologies took place all the time. Each year, a delegation of farmers paid a week-long visit to the partner region, to let farmers establish direct contacts with one another. During the last meeting in Burgas, emphasis was laid on the apprenticeship of university and farming-college students (the Burgas farming college is held in high repute). Another aim was to host, with the support from the CNAI National Centre for Young Farmers, ten apprentices in Alsace for fourteen months in 1998.
Privatisation and reviving production
17. Cooperation between the regions has proved to be quite fruitful. Although Bulgaria can hardly cope with the privatisation of land, nevertheless nearly 75 per cent of farmsteads are now privately owned. The percentage of land that has been privatised is particularly high in the Burgas region. The process does not however go on smoothly as Bulgaria resolved to recognize the rights of the old owners, which required checking cadastral surveys. Those cadasters had not been drawn up properly, and to make things worse, some of the land was returned to people who were not going to farm it. What is more, privatisation has led to such land fragmentation that many farm holdings stand no chance of survival.
18. Cooperation between Burgas and Alsace has popularised the tenancy system, allowing planters to plough land they do not own. The system permits long-term tenancies, gives tenants the right to crops and to some of the agricultural produce. It is one of the ways to boost agricultural production and to ease market shortages even if not all problems involved in the privatisation of land have been solved.
Vocational organisations
19. The aim of the Burgas-Alsace cooperation was, learning from the French experience, to promote vocational organizations which should act as democratic mediators between the authorities and farmers. The latter could strongly commit themselves to the setting of guidelines and to the practical aspect of agricultural policy. This way the role of different vocational organizations - trade unions as a political formation, farmers’ chambers as technical institutions offering services and training to farmers, and cooperatives as institutions dealing with food processing and with the sale of agricultural produce - would become clear. If vocational organisations were to fulfil their tasks in the best possible manner, they had to be democratic, easily accessible and independent of political parties.
Technological cooperation
20. In view of its obsolete equipment and technologies, cooperation in engineering and technology could be of great importance to the Burgas region. Contacts were established only with the sugar industry whose condition in the region was truly wretched. The local sugar production met a mere 5 per cent of demand, against 80 per cent in the past. In 1997, the Sucreries et Raffineries d’Erstein of Alsace and the Bartex Kristal group signed an agreement on the restoration of the sugar sector in this part of Bulgaria. However, implementation of the agreement ran up against difficulties because of the lack of coordination and supervision.
3. Polish experience
Introduction
21. Thanks to her cultural heritage, as the country situated at the crossroads between the Eastern and Western civilizations in Europe, Poland was destined for development of international cooperation. It was across Poland that war as well as trade routes connecting the Mediterranean, the Black and the Baltic Seas ran. It was on the territories of the present-day Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine and Belarus where for several centuries functioned an organisation of federal, multinational and autonomous states whose common objectives and principles were close to the present concept of the European Union.
22. Owing to the events related with the establishment of Solidarity, Poland became an object of interest and willing help. Numerous contacts have been developed. From the moment of the peaceful political and economic transformation of the years 1989-1990, these contacts have turned into close cooperation.
23. The countries of Western Europe were bringing closer to Poland the practice of the functioning of the democratic system, also at the local level, that of gminas [smallest administrative units], local government, trade chambers, cooperatives and civic organizations. Political and trade-union contacts were close. Although it was not easy, from the very beginning efforts have been made to develop contacts and cooperation with countries in Eastern and Central Europe. For example, the Farmers’ Forum, organised in Mała Wieś in March 1991, established cooperation among representatives of science, farmers’ unions and organisations in this part of Europe.
The establishment and functioning of Euro-regions in Poland
24. Irrespective of the earlier initiatives with respect to cooperation between cross-border regions (e.g. in the so-called small tourist traffic, cross-border trade, transfer of manpower, industrial cooperation and attempts to manage the Oder River), Poland’s increasingly abundant possibilities for cross-border cooperation were noticed only at the beginning of the 1990s, which was closely related with the systemic transformation of the country. In the practical sphere, this was reflected in the establishment and operation within Poland’s borders of thirteen Euro-regions, four of which are on the western border, six on the southern border, two on the eastern border and one on the northern border. The establishment in 1991 of the “Neisse” Euro-region, the first within the boundaries of Poland and in Eastern and Central Europe, was of particular significance to the Euro-regions newly-formed on the German-Polish and Czech-Polish borders. In the years 1991-1993, the “Neisse” Euro-region gained its first, trilateral experience in laying institutional foundations of cross-border cooperation. This, like the other three Euro-regions on the western border (“Pomerania,” “Pro Europa Viadrina” and “Spree-Neisse-Bóbr”), are a model for the establishment of various forms of Poland’s cross-border cooperation. The list of crucial factors, contributory to the establishment of cross-border regions in the west, includes:
- new political appearance of Poland’s eastern border, future European Union outer border,
- the signing of the Europe Agreement which imparted a precursory character to Polish-German cross-border cooperation in Eastern and Central Europe,
- local and regional communities undertaking activity in establishing cross-border cooperation.
25. Beneficial political changes in the recent years have also opened up new possibilities for close relations, coordination of development and recreation of ties between regions and local communities on the southern border (the border with the Czech Republic), the internal border of the Visegrad Group states and the internal border of the free trade zone, CEFTA, which the Group has entered.
26. As regards the eastern border, the closest cooperation has been cross-regional with Ukraine, as illustrated by the establishment the Bug Euro-region, Eastern Europe’s first, in September 1995.
27. On the northern border, the first initiative to institute institutional forms of cross-border cooperation was taken in 1997. As a result of intensive organisational work of the Baltic countries’ local communities and border regions, an agreement was signed at Malbork in February 1998 on the establishment of the “Baltic” Euro-region, which embraced border areas of Poland, Denmark, Lithuania, Russia (the Kaliningrad province) and Sweden.
28. The list and location of the Euro-regions in Poland are shown on the map below.
Euro-regions within the Polish boundaries
A complete list of Euro-regions is presented, in chronological order, in the table below.
Table: Euro-regions by date of creation
Euro-region |
Date of creation |
1. "Neisse" |
21 December 1991 |
2. "Carpathian") |
14 February 1993 |
3. "Spree-Neisse-Bóbr" |
21 September 1993 |
4. "Pro Europa Viadrina" |
21 December 1993 |
5. "Tatra" |
26 August 1994 |
6. "Bug" |
29 September 1995 |
7. "Pomerania" |
15 December 1995 |
8. "Glacensis" |
5 December 1996 |
9. "Neman" |
6 June 1997 |
10. "Pradziad/Praded" |
2 July 1997 |
11. "Baltica" |
22 February 1998 |
12. Cieszyn (Teschen) Silesia |
22 April 1998 |
13. "Silesia" |
20 September 1998 |
Examples of interregional cooperation in Poland
Little Poland Voivodship
29. Cooperation with the Burgundy Region - several projects have been concerned with sending a group of farmers and representatives of the Karniowice Agricultural Advisory Centre and College of Farming to study farming methods in Burgundy. Farmers have become familiar with the farming methods applied in Burgundy (giving heed to the agricultural policy of the European Union), with the system of servicing agriculture and with the division of prerogatives in this area. During their visit to Dijon, representatives of the Karniowice Agricultural Advisory Centre established cooperation with the Regional Farmers’ Chamber of Burgundy in such areas as market research, marketing, organisation of agricultural produce exchange, counselling farmers, food- processing and organisation of cooperatives to service farmers.
30. Representatives of the College of Farming have established contacts with the authorities of a similar college in Dijon, in the area of specialised cooperation in integrated methods of plant protection and biological farming, and in the operating the horticultural market. They have proposed forestry training for students.
31. The Voivodship Agricultural Advisory Centre in Cracow has collaborated with the Union of Charolais Cattle Breeders in Burgundy.
32. The Farmers’ Chamber, the Agricultural Advisory Centre and secondary schools of farming in the former voivodship of Cracow have established close cooperation with their counterparts in France (Mayenne département) and Switzerland (St. Gallen canton).
Lublin and Podlasie Voivodship
33. Projects for cooperation with the Netherlands concerned two areas - development of a marketing system for crop farming and milk cow husbandry. Attempts have been made to establish a system of producers' marketing organisations, including group producers, modern associations of farmers and horticultural cooperatives, taking benefit from the experiences of Western countries where such organisations function in a market economy. Such organisations are oriented at production of uniform and large quantities of agricultural and horticultural produce for the food-processing sector and for commodity exchanges.
34. The project for milk cow husbandry was set up, aimed at construction of cowsheds for milk cows to be grazed mostly on grasslands. Selection of animals based on laboratory tests of milk and genetic characteristics of mother-cows.
35. As a result of the project, over 200 cowsheds have been set up, where current assessment of achieved results is made.
36. In Turoœl community, in north-eastern Poland, model cow husbandry and milk production facilities were organised in cooperation with Dutch partners. Positive results are noted in respect of a project for cooperation with Switzerland in the area of milk quality.
37. Promotion of green tourism is conducted in order to provide additional income for rural populations. The project called "Agro-tourism - a step forward in rural development " was prepared and launched in cooperation with Germany. The aim of the projects - at the first stage - was to train advisers and representatives of local authorities. In Wojciechowo agro-tourist business was conducted on 8 farms (of total 30 in the Lublin Voivodship) which received 2,000 visitors. The Lublin Agro-tourism Association and Advisory Council for Agro-tourism were established, a tourist catalogue was published and a number of meetings were held. Similar initiatives were developed in many other regions, in particular in southern Poland.
Kujavia-Pommerania Voivodship
38. The Agricultural Advisory Centre in Minikowo effectively cooperates with foreign partners. The Centre cooperates with French, Danish, German and Dutch partners. Cooperation with France and Denmark is the most effective.
39. Cooperation with France concerns the area of economic advice for large farms established as a result of transformation of the former state-owned farms, basing on accountability in decision-making. Emphasis is put on acquiring knowledge of organisational, legal and financial issues, as well as practical benefits from the application of VAT and income tax in agricultural sector.
40. It is intended that a consulting office be set up within the framework of Polish-French cooperation, involving the Association of Leaseholders of the Agricultural Agency of State Treasury Property in Bydgoszcz and the Agricultural Advisory Centre in Minikowo on the Polish side, and Agricultural Economics Centres Cergiv from Picardy and Garonne on the French side.
41. Cooperation also covers training. Among those who have improved their qualifications are Polish butchers (pork butchers from small and medium meat processing plants and butchers shops), proprietors of small restaurants in the countryside and proprietors of agro-tourist farms. This activity is conducted under the patronage of the French Confederation of Butchers, Pork Butchers and Meat Product Makers. One of the results of this cooperation was the establishment in December 1998 of a Polish-French Training Centre aimed at training butchers, as well as providing knowledge in management and marketing of small and medium meat processing plants, and presentation of functional solutions. Special emphasis is put on production quality taking into account EU norms and standards. The model of link between farmers (producer groups) and processing plants is promoted (a so-called vertical integration).
4. Developments in interregional cooperation in agriculture and rural development
42. On the basis of the Alsace-Burgas pilot project, the Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development and Food examined the role of interregional cooperation in agricultural and rural development, particularly in the countries of central and eastern Europe. By means of questionnaires sent to the regional authorities of Member States in co-operation with the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe (CLRAE), the Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development and Food endeavoured to list and analyse the various forms of cooperation under way. One may distinguish two types of cooperation: transfrontier cooperation and cooperation with the countries of central and eastern Europe.
a. Transfrontier cooperation
43. Many frontiers take no account of natural surroundings and cross ecosystems. However, frontier regions may share the same problems related to land-type, land use and the environment. As a result, this cooperation may give considerable advantages, making it possible to improve the effectiveness of the management of shared natural resources, and can even be vital for preventing pollution or protecting the environment.4
44. In most cases transfrontier cooperation in agricultural and rural development is conducted through bilateral relations between neighbouring regions. Agreements are reached between the local and regional authorities, which set the framework of such agreements. Depending in the aims of this cooperation, it is up to those authorities themselves to involve other relevant partners (chambers of agriculture, chambers of commerce, trade unions and professional bodies, small and medium-sized companies, research and training institutes).
45. Broader cooperation areas have also been established, when natural conditions are similar, to form "Euro-regions". The examples of such cooperation are: the regions of the Danubian area, the Alpine Arc and IMEDOC (the islands of the Western Mediterranean: Sardinia, Corsica and the Balearic Islands). Positive results have been noted in cooperation under the first Euro-region Westphalia (Munster, Osnabrück) and Netherlands (Entschede) where 20 years ago the textile industry and agriculture prevailed. Today, the textile industry has vanished and the rural areas are more diverse. Projects implemented in these regions related to landscape protection and rationalisation of farming.
46. Transfrontier cooperation, in particular its practical application, calls for financial support. In fact, a number of these projects are part of Community aid programmes. The European Union's regions benefit from programmes oriented on the promotion of regional cooperation along internal and external frontiers of the Union, with emphasis on the role of agriculture and the countryside. This relates particularly to the Phare CBC and Interreg II programmes, now coordinated with eastern European countries. The Interreg programme, which encourages transfrontier relations in agriculture and rural matters across the internal and external boundaries of the Union, is realized by means of medium-term (5-year) projects. The Phare programme focuses on interregional cooperation with the countries of central and eastern Europe in the short term, since its funds are allocated yearly.
47. Funds may come from specific programmes, such as Euro-Tira (for the development of telematics in rural areas) and the Leonardo da Vinci programme (training and research), or may also come form the structural funds, i.e. the Community Regional Fund, the European Social Fund or the EAGGF.
48. As a general rule, frontier cooperation takes account of the challenges facing agriculture and rural development, especially in the regions of western Europe and the European Union, through a number of projects co-funded by the Community. The common objective of all these programmes is to guarantee rural areas sustainable and environment-friendly agricultural development. It is also aimed at halting the exodus from rural areas.
49. Within the scope of the Leonardo da Vinci programme and financial support from the National Agricultural Bank, the SFD (Small Farm Diversification) project is realised in Norway. The aim of the project is to prevent exodus from rural areas through training of, in particular women and young persons, in non-agricultural professions.
b. Cooperation with the countries of central and eastern Europe
50. The systemic changes effected in the countries of central and eastern Europe have caused the agricultural sector considerable difficulties. In many countries production decreased. Farmers are deficient in funds and, therefore, cannot bring privatised land into cultivation and often do not have sufficient experience for running farms on their own. The so-called agricultural environment and agricultural infrastructure are not sufficiently developed. The involvement of banking in the financial servicing of farms is not adequate. Traditional rural values have been destroyed or considerably neglected, as industrialisation was given high priority in these countries.
51. At the same time, the future of the rural world cannot, and should not, be left solely to market forces which do not take into account socio-cultural merits and functions of rural areas and their ecological circumstances.
52. These aspects provided, inter alia, a basis for the draft European Charter for Rural Areas5. The draft Charter recommends drawing special attention to the countries of central and eastern Europe in transition and calls for certain measures to be taken in the context of European cooperation.
53. In the light of available data, it should be stated that there is far more interregional cooperation within the western part of the continent than with the countries of central and eastern Europe. Analysis of the replies to the questionnaire reveals that the regions involved in cooperation with the countries of central and eastern Europe tend to be frontier regions.
54. As a result, transfrontier cooperation mainly concerns central Europe: the Danubian regions, the western most parts of Poland and the Balkan regions.6
55. In Kosovo, due to war damage, tracts of land are uncultivated, livestock has decreased, seeds and fertilizers are in short supply. The agri-food industry needs restructuring and privatising. It is only through properly provided international aid and with the active participation of the inhabitants of Kosovo that its successful reconstruction will be achieved and its war wounds healed. Cooperation has been developed with the use of various funds.
56. The PHARE programme was launched in 1990. Until now, it has served as the main instrument for technical and financial assistance by the European Union for the countries central and eastern Europe. Originally, it affected only Poland and Hungary (therefore, its name was abbreviated: Poland and Hungary - Assistance for Reconstructing the Economy), but it has gradually been extended to cover thirteen central and eastern European countries (Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia).
57. Originally allocated Euro 4.2 billion for the 1990-1994 period, the Phare budget was increased to Euro 6.693 billion for the 1995-1999 period.
58. The Phare programme is not the only assistance programme for the countries emerging after the collapse of the communist system. The TACIS programme is an initiative for the states of the former Soviet Union (the New Independent States) and Mongolia.
59. Moreover, the recipient of the OBNOVA programme include states emerging after the dissolution of Yugoslavia, i.e. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
60. In 2000, the European Union decided to establish two new instruments for financial support in order to help the associated countries align their systems with EU standards. Due to their similarity with the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund of the European Union, the funds was called Preaccession Funds. The former, known as the SAPARD programme, will provide support for agriculture and the development of rural areas, the latter, called ISPA (like the Cohesion Fund) will support activities in the field of transport and environmental protection.
61. The above-mentioned aid will contribute to accomplishing the objectives indicated in the document of the European Commission - "Partnership for Accession".
5. Conclusions
62. Both in the EU Member States and in other European countries agriculture is recognised as a key component of the national economy.
63. Reform of the EU Common Agricultural Policy is currently under way. The countries of central and eastern Europe have faced considerable difficulties in the transition of their economies to a market economy.
64. Agriculture, agri-business and the rural sector are of substantial importance for the future of the countries of central and eastern Europe. At the same time, these countries have faced difficulties in reforming their agricultural sectors to meet the requirements of a market economy. This process necessitates allocation of funds, adoption of new legislation and application of technologies and knowledge in farm management. Therefore, cooperation for agricultural and rural development is vital. Experience gained by western countries in enhancing transfrontier and regional cooperation shows that such cooperation may help resolve many problems. The INTERREG programme is a good example in this respect, as well as the working communities, like ARGE-ALP, established in 1972, which was aimed at interregional and transfrontier cooperation between alpine regions without involving a central government. Allocation of funds from PHARE and SAPARD programmes for central and eastern Europe should promote the development of rural areas and modernisation of their agriculture and, therefore, contribute to closer interregional cooperation in the region.
65. European organisations and associations, such as the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe (CLRAE), the Association of European Border Regions (AEBR), and the Assembly of European Regions (AER) should intensify their efforts to promote rural development and interregional cooperation in this field.
List of references:
1. Role of interregional co-operation for agricultural and rural development . Introductory memorandum (prepared by the Secretariat on the instructions of the Rapporteur) Rapporteur: Lord Newall, United Kingdom, GDE, 17 September 1998 (AS/Agr (1998) 19).
2. Inter-regional co-operation for agriculture and rural development - a Polish experience, by Mr Gabriel Janowski (Poland, EPP/CD.) Rapporteur. 24 March 1999 (AS/Agr (1999) 14).
3. Colloquy on the role of inter-regional co-operation for agricultural and rural development. Warsaw (Poland) 21-22 October 1999 (Summary report of the debates, Strasbourg 2000).
Reporting committee: Committee on the Environment and Agriculture
Reference to committee: Doc. 7548 and Reference No. 2078 of 5 May 1996
Draft resolution adopted unanimously by the committee on 28 June 2001
Members of the committee: Mr Behrendt (Chairman), MM. Besostri, Hoeffel, Hornung (Vice-Chairmen), MM. Adamczyk, Agius, Mrs Agudo, MM. Akçali, Aliko, Andreoli, Mrs Angelovicova, MM. Annemans, Bartos (Alternate: Mrs Sehnalova), Bockel, Briane, Browne (Alternate: Kiely), Mrs Burataeva, MM. de Carolis, Carvalho, Sir Sydney Chapman, MM. Colla, Cosarciuc, Cox (Alternate: Meale), Diana, Duivesteijn, von der Esch, Etherington, Frunda (Alternate: Kelemen), Gonzalez de Txabarri (Alternate: de Puig), Graas, Grachev, Hajiyeva, Haraldsson, Ilascu, Kalkan, Mrs Kanelli, MM. Keuschnigg (Alternate: Mrs Gatterer), Kharitonov, Kjaer, Kolesnikov, Kostenko, Kostytsky, Kurucsai, Kurykin (Alternate: Gaber), Lachat (Alternate: Mrs Fehr), Libicki, van der Linden, Lotz, Manukyan, Mariot, Martinez Casan (Alternate: Fernanez Aguilar), Mrs Mikaelsson, MM. Minkov, Monteiro, Müller, Pisanu (Alternate: Pingerra), Podobnik, Pollozhani, Prosser (Alternate: O’Hara), Radic, Rise, Salaridze, Mrs Schicker, MM. Schmied, Skopal, Smolarek, Stankevic (Alternate: Mrs Burbiene), Stoica (Alternate: Coifan), Tanik, Theodorou, Tiuri, Toshev, Truu, Vakilov, Zierer, Mrs Zissi, N … (Andorra) (Alternate: Mrs Pintat).
N.B. The names of those members present at the meeting are printed in italics.
Secretariat to the committee: Mrs Cagnolati, MM. Sixto and Chevtchenko.
1 AS/Agr (1996) 3 – Summary record of the proceedings
2 Report of the debates (Strasbourg, 1997)
3 Summary report of the debates (Strasbourg, 2000)
4 In this respect, see the European Outline Convention on Transfrontier Co-operation between Territorial Communities or Authorities (adopted by the Council of Europe in Madrid in 1980).
5 Recommendation 1296 (1996) of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
6 Seminar on transfrontier cooperation between frontier local authorities of Bulgaria and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Sandanski and Strumitsa, 1-2 February 2000.
Expert meeting between Bulgarian and Romanian local and regional authorities Giurgiu, Romania, 19 April 2000.
International Conference on transfrontier cooperation between the Republic of Poland and the Slovak Republic, Dolny Kubin – Szczawnica, 29-30 May 2000.
Stability Pact Conference: “The role of Euroregions in promoting good-neighbourly relations”, Sofia, 30 June-1 July 2000.
Strengthening good-neighbourly relations in central and eastern Europe in preparation for EU enlargement, Lublin, Poland, 11-12 December 2000.