Rural Development Programme for Latvia 2007-2013
Country
Type of law
Policy
Abstract
The Rural Development Programme for Latvia is a national cross-sectoral programme of Latvia for the period 2007-2013. Its main objectives include promotion of the competitiveness of agricultural and forestry sectors, improving the environment and the country side, and improving quality of life in rural areas and diversification of rural economy.
In order to make agriculture and forestry more productive and sustainable, the Programme aims to support activities aimed at preservation of the nature values of the rural territories, attractive landscapes and biodiversity; support voluntary agri-environment commitments encouraging the use of environment-friendly farming methods in management of agricultural lands, as well as support to compensate the foregone income resulting from business restrictions imposed on Natura 2000 territories of naturally handicapped territories; involvement of low-efficiency use agricultural lands in manufacturing of agricultural and forestry products; and take into account the principle of gender equality at all stages of development, implementation and evaluation of policies, programmes, administrative and financial activities.
To reduce rural poverty, the Programme plans to support the development of the local roads and the infrastructure; diversify the economic activities as well as preserve and develop the cultural heritage of the rural territories; create alternative sources of income, particularly to establishment and development of micro-enterprises; increase the economic welfare of the rural population dependent on low efficiency self-consumption farms by promoting the expansion of their business or change of profile; diversify farming activities towards non-agricultural activities; promote the creation of new jobs in addition to agricultural and forestry sectors, improving the knowledge and skills of the population, thus enhancing their ability to switch to other type of business; develop and improve rural tourism, related services and infrastructure; and preserve and develop the rural cultural heritage, particularly in relation to agriculture and forestry sectors.
Further, the document aims to enable more inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems. For this purpose, it targets to improve the competitiveness of agricultural and forestry businesses by supporting their restructuring, development and innovation as well as to improve the professional knowledge and qualifications of the population by ensuring the availability of the required advisory services. Some of the more specific objectives in this regard include development of market-oriented production units; modernisation of out-dated equipment and buildings, paying particular attention to long-term investment and investment related to environmental protection; encouraging younger farmers to start agricultural business to improve the age profile of farm owners; increasing the added value in the food sectors through development of the marketing and consumer information systems for agricultural products as well as the promotion of the application of more modern technologies in agricultural products processing, marketing and logistics chains; and support improvement of the technical support to post-growing processes (harvesting, primary processing, slaughtering, long-term storage, handling, processing) of agricultural, including organic farming products. The noted objectives will be achieved through the following measures: vocational training and information actions; use of farm and forestry advisory services; setting up of management, relief and advisory services; modernisation of agricultural holdings; improving of economic value of forests; adding value to agricultural products; developing infrastructure related to the development and adaptation of agriculture and forestry; supporting semi-subsistence agricultural holdings undergoing restructuring; and setting up of producer groups.
The Programme also aims to increase the resilience of livelihoods to disasters planning to introduce preventive measures for reduction of damages by natural disasters; support the measure "First afforestation of non-agricultural land"; restore forestry potential in the areas affected by fire and/or natural disasters; and introduce forest fire-safety prevention measures.
The document also pertains to energy production and provides the following measures: supporting production of biomass for energy and non-food industry; support holdings which establish production of energy from biomass of an agricultural or forestry origin; increase the production rate of electricity and heat energy from the renewable energy sources; and construct, re-construct and renovate energy supply systems based on renewable resources.
The Ministry of Agriculture is tasked to ensure that the monitoring system for this Programme is operational to capture and preserve computerised information on Programme implementation in a form that would be suitable for the purposes of monitoring and evaluation. The Rural Development Programme Information System 2007 2013 has been developed handling, among others, the financial and statistical data on implementation of the Programme. The Rural Support Service is the institution charged with the responsibility for the establishment and maintenance of the Information System and the collation of the information. The data accumulated by the Information System is used to analyse the implementation of the Programme, to provide information to the Monitoring Committee and to prepare the reports. The Monitoring Committee is comprised of representatives from multiple Latvian state authorities, Regional Planning Councils, Latvian Association of Local and Regional Governments, agricultural non-governmental organisations, and environmental non-governmental organisations.
In order to make agriculture and forestry more productive and sustainable, the Programme aims to support activities aimed at preservation of the nature values of the rural territories, attractive landscapes and biodiversity; support voluntary agri-environment commitments encouraging the use of environment-friendly farming methods in management of agricultural lands, as well as support to compensate the foregone income resulting from business restrictions imposed on Natura 2000 territories of naturally handicapped territories; involvement of low-efficiency use agricultural lands in manufacturing of agricultural and forestry products; and take into account the principle of gender equality at all stages of development, implementation and evaluation of policies, programmes, administrative and financial activities.
To reduce rural poverty, the Programme plans to support the development of the local roads and the infrastructure; diversify the economic activities as well as preserve and develop the cultural heritage of the rural territories; create alternative sources of income, particularly to establishment and development of micro-enterprises; increase the economic welfare of the rural population dependent on low efficiency self-consumption farms by promoting the expansion of their business or change of profile; diversify farming activities towards non-agricultural activities; promote the creation of new jobs in addition to agricultural and forestry sectors, improving the knowledge and skills of the population, thus enhancing their ability to switch to other type of business; develop and improve rural tourism, related services and infrastructure; and preserve and develop the rural cultural heritage, particularly in relation to agriculture and forestry sectors.
Further, the document aims to enable more inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems. For this purpose, it targets to improve the competitiveness of agricultural and forestry businesses by supporting their restructuring, development and innovation as well as to improve the professional knowledge and qualifications of the population by ensuring the availability of the required advisory services. Some of the more specific objectives in this regard include development of market-oriented production units; modernisation of out-dated equipment and buildings, paying particular attention to long-term investment and investment related to environmental protection; encouraging younger farmers to start agricultural business to improve the age profile of farm owners; increasing the added value in the food sectors through development of the marketing and consumer information systems for agricultural products as well as the promotion of the application of more modern technologies in agricultural products processing, marketing and logistics chains; and support improvement of the technical support to post-growing processes (harvesting, primary processing, slaughtering, long-term storage, handling, processing) of agricultural, including organic farming products. The noted objectives will be achieved through the following measures: vocational training and information actions; use of farm and forestry advisory services; setting up of management, relief and advisory services; modernisation of agricultural holdings; improving of economic value of forests; adding value to agricultural products; developing infrastructure related to the development and adaptation of agriculture and forestry; supporting semi-subsistence agricultural holdings undergoing restructuring; and setting up of producer groups.
The Programme also aims to increase the resilience of livelihoods to disasters planning to introduce preventive measures for reduction of damages by natural disasters; support the measure "First afforestation of non-agricultural land"; restore forestry potential in the areas affected by fire and/or natural disasters; and introduce forest fire-safety prevention measures.
The document also pertains to energy production and provides the following measures: supporting production of biomass for energy and non-food industry; support holdings which establish production of energy from biomass of an agricultural or forestry origin; increase the production rate of electricity and heat energy from the renewable energy sources; and construct, re-construct and renovate energy supply systems based on renewable resources.
The Ministry of Agriculture is tasked to ensure that the monitoring system for this Programme is operational to capture and preserve computerised information on Programme implementation in a form that would be suitable for the purposes of monitoring and evaluation. The Rural Development Programme Information System 2007 2013 has been developed handling, among others, the financial and statistical data on implementation of the Programme. The Rural Support Service is the institution charged with the responsibility for the establishment and maintenance of the Information System and the collation of the information. The data accumulated by the Information System is used to analyse the implementation of the Programme, to provide information to the Monitoring Committee and to prepare the reports. The Monitoring Committee is comprised of representatives from multiple Latvian state authorities, Regional Planning Councils, Latvian Association of Local and Regional Governments, agricultural non-governmental organisations, and environmental non-governmental organisations.
Attached files
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Date of text
Repealed
No
Source language
English
Legislation Amendment
No