EU funding will be moved away from agriculture towards broader rural development, the Irish EU Commissioner, Mr David Byrne, has indicated. He warned in a speech that the long-term success of rural areas will not depend solely on farming.
The EU Commission is currently working on the financing of the Union's policies after 2006. "It seems clear to me that we need to think a fair bit more radically about the financing framework for rural development, if a golden opportunity for the next generation of rural development and sustainable development is not to be lost," said Mr Byrne, at the Small Food Producers Forum in Maynooth, Co Kildare yesterday.
Significant spending under the existing rural development programme has been devoted to restructuring the farming sector, he added.
"It is now time to concentrate of other areas in the rural economy - enterprise development, marketing local or regional brands, high-tech initiatives, e-learning links - the potential areas go on and on."
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