Agriculture and rural development
Mountain farming and rural areas in Europe
Farming systems respectful of the environment and anchored in their territory
Mountain agriculture is characterized by extensive low input and low output farming systems , oriented towards specific productions of high quality . These farming systems are dominated by livestock production, based on grazing, and by permanent crops (orchards, vineyards...).
Farms are in general smaller compared to national averages of respective countries. Pluri-activity is strongly represented and small farmers are numerous, especially in the Carpathians where semi-subsistence farming still dominates.
Agriculture finally very often represents the basis of the local economy and is closely inter-related to other economic sectors, such as agro-food industry and tourism.
Mountain agriculture represents 18% of agricultural holdings , 15% of agricultural utilised area and 15% of agricultural workforce in Europe. Because of the geographical constraints to farming leading to overcosts, work productivity is on average lower by 28% in mountain areas compared to less favoured areas and by 40% compared to low lands.
Mountains in the common agricultural and rural development policy (CAP)
The CAP is the only one among European policies offering a specific approach for mountain areas and differentiated measures. Article 18 of regulation 1257/99 on less favoured areas offers a European framework for a definition of mountain areas based on subsidiarity. Member States have the possibility (but not the obligation) to define their mountain areas and to provide these areas with targeted measures in the framework of the rural development policy. 16 Member States out of 22 States having part of their territory as mountains have defined areas in this context.
Beyond this specific attention, the CAP has tended, in the past, for historical reasons, to favour the most productive lowland farming systems, at the expense of mountain farmers. If the evolution observed throughout the last reforms goes in the right direction, there is still a lot to do to set up a more territorial CAP , supporting different forms of farming in their diversity and ensuring sustainability of the activity on all territories.
Our actions
Policy - representation
Euromontana represents mountain communities through networking activities implemented to define common positions and by participation in official EU consultative bodies.
Euromontana is in particular an expert member of the advisory group on Rural development organised by DG AGRI of the European Commission .
Euromontana also keeps in close contact with MEPs of the AGRI Committee as well as with the NAT section of the Committee of the regions and of the European Economic and Social Committee .
The future of the CAP after 2013
The political activity on agriculture and rural development has been dominated since 2008 by the debate on the future of the common agriculture and rural development policy.
In 2008, Euromontana initiated its reflection on this subject and has set up a network of "CAP referees ", which is consulted as a priority for the definition of actions to carry out on the themes of mountain farming and mountain rural development.
- Join the network of CAP referees (members only)
This reflection has allowed Euromontana to elaborate a common position which was presented on the 7th of October 2009 in Clermont -Ferrand and submitted to the public debate on the CAP launched by Commissioner Ciolos in spring 2010.
- See our position on the future of the CAP after 2013 submitted on 3rd June 2010
The European Commission, following the public debate, published on October 18th 2010 a communication on the future of the CAP towards 2020 and opened a public consultation on this communication, to which Euromontana responded on the 25th January 2011.
Legislative proposals on the future common agricultural policy have been published by the European Commission on October 12th, 2011.
- See the legislative proposals
Since then Euromontana is actively involved in the on-going negotiation at the Council and Parliament.
The revision of the less favoured areas regime
The European Commission has launched, via a communication from 2009, therevision of the support system for less favoured areas and especially the eligibility rules of the different areas in the context of article 19. This revision follows a report by the European Court of Auditors which questions the legitimacy of the delimitation of these areas.
Mountain areas which are registered under article 18 of the regulation are not within the scope of this revision. However, intermediate LFAs, which cover a wide part of Piedmont areas and some mountain areas in countries which are not using article 18, are concerned.
Euromontana responded to the consultation organised in 2009 and has repeated several times since its attachement to balanced solutions.
- see Euromontana response to the consultation in 2009 (Anglais)
The last elements of the reform of less favoured areas are being discussed in the framework of the negotiation on the CAP.
Coordination and networking
The European network for rural development
Euromontana is one of the 12 European organisations participating in the European network for rural development.
Together with representatives from the Member States (representatives of ministries and coordinators of National Rural Networks), Euromontana contributes to the reflection on improving delivery of rural development policies and exchanging best practices .
Euromontana is represented on the coordination committee by Juanan Gutierrez, its Vice-President, and on the LEADER sub-committee by Antonio Machado, administrator (ADRAT, Portugal). Frank Gaskell, Senator, is an expert on one of the thematic groups.
The network has set-up since its creation at the end of 2008 several thematic groups, organised various seminars and it also offers several services.
ARC 2020
Euromontana participates in the debates of the Agricultural and Rural Convention which was created in spring 2010 to assemble various individuals and organisations wishing to debate the future of the Common Agricultural Policy. To visit the ARC website, click on the logo.
Projects & studies
Agriculture and environnement
In 1997, immediately following its creation, Euromontana conducted for DG Environment of European Commission a reference study on the integration of environmental concerns in mountain farming. Studies for each mountain range were carried out and published. This work is available for consultation at the Secretariat in Brussels.
FAO project Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development in Mountain areas
Euromontana was partner and focal point for Europe of the FAO project » Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development in Mountains (SARD-M) from 2005 to 2010..
- Learn more on SARD-M
- See the memorandum on mountain positive externalities
Development of rural territories
In the framework of the work on the law for development of rural territories, the French Ministry of Agriculture has financed three studies between 2006 and 2009 respectively on:
- Services of general interes: see the final report
- Challenges of pastoralism: see the final report
- Collective initiatives in the field of culture and heritage: see the final report
Events
Two seminars were organised by Euromontana in the framework of the reflection on the future of the CAP after 2013:
- 14-16 October 2009: "Europe's mountain bonus: how communities and land management produce positive externalities to European society and the related policies and opportunities" - Arantzazu, Basque Country, Spain, Dg AGRI information measures conference
- 7 October 2009: "The future of mountain livestock farming: a territorial and economic challenge for Europe", Clermont-Ferrand, France, seminar co-organised with SIDAM on the occasion of the Livestock summit
- 26 June 2008: "The CAP health check and the future of the CAP", Brussels, Belgium - seminar co-organised with the Basque government.
- 4-5 October 2007: "Towards integrated Mountain Areas Development and its recognition in the Common agricultural policy - Shaping the New European Space ", Piatra Neamt, Romania- DG AGRI information measures conference" - See final report: FR - EN - RO
For any information related to agriculture and rural development in mountain areas, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
