Rural development directors reflect on the future
On 22 and 23 November 2010 in Genk, an informal meeting was held for the Rural Development Directors. On Monday, the directors discussed the future of the European rural policy beyond 2013. On Tuesday, they visited a number of sites connected with rural development.
It is a tradition within the European rural development policy for the EU-Presidency to hold an informal meeting. The Belgian Presidency organised a meeting on the theme "Focus on the future".
The rural development directors of all EU member states were invited to attend, as well as a number of members of the European Commission.
Working party on the future European rural policy
The first day consisted entirely of working sessions. The directors considered a number of aspects of rural policy for the next programming period of 2014 -2020.
The morning’s topic was "Focus on Priorities". During the plenary meeting and workshop session, the participants considered the extent to which they will be able to base the future European rural policy on the priorities that have been established for Europe. This is not only a question of EU 2020 Strategy, but also of the traditional priorities associated with rural development.
Innovation for the future
The afternoon was devoted to innovation as a key element for future operations. In the plenary session, a number of innovative projects in various member states were first briefly presented. Then, during the workshop session, the directors had the opportunity of voicing their opinions on a number of specific issues.
During the meeting, the Vlaams Ruraal Netwerk (Flemish Rural Network) questioned those in attendance on their views on the functioning and future of the national rural networksthroughout all of Europe.
Visits
On the second day, the directors visited a number of interesting sites. They were introduced to the rich biodiversity of the Hoge Kempen National Park and after a brief tour had lunch at a typical Belgian brewery. The excursion was concluded with a visit to an innovative fruit producing and sorting company in Hageland.
