1.The EAFRD shall complement national, regional and local actions contributing to the Community’s priorities.
2.The Commission and the Member States shall ensure that the assistance from the EAFRD and the Member States is consistent with the activities, policies and priorities of the Community. The assistance of the EAFRD shall be consistent with the objectives of Economic and Social Cohesion and those of the Community support instrument for fisheries in particular.
3.This consistency shall be provided by the Community strategic guidelines referred to in Article 9, the national strategy plan referred to in Article 11, the rural development programmes referred to in Article 15 and the Commission report referred to in Article 14.
4.In accordance with their respective responsibilities, the Commission and the Member States shall ensure the coordination between the assistance from the different Funds, the ERDF, the ESF, the CF, the Community support instrument for fisheries, and the interventions of the European Investment Bank (hereinafter the EIB), and of other Community financial instruments.
5.There shall also be consistency with the measures financed by the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund.
6.No support under this Regulation shall be granted to schemes eligible for support under common market organisations, subject to any exceptions yet to be defined, in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 90(2).
7.The Member States shall ensure that the operations financed by the EAFRD are in conformity with the Treaty and any acts adopted under it.
1.EAFRD assistance shall be implemented through close consultations (hereinafter partnership) between the Commission and the Member State and with the authorities and bodies designated by the Member State under national rules and practices, including:
(a)the competent regional, local authorities and other public authorities;
(b)the economic and social partners;
(c)any other appropriate body representing civil society, non-governmental organisations, including environmental organisations, and bodies responsible for promoting equality between men and women.
The Member State shall designate the most representative partners at national, regional and local level and in the economic, social, environmental or other sphere (hereinafter partners). It shall create the conditions for a broad and effective involvement of all appropriate bodies, in accordance with national rules and practices, taking into account the need to promote equality between men and women and sustainable development through integration of environmental protection and improvement requirements.
2.The partnership shall be conducted with due regard to the respective institutional, legal and financial responsibilities of each category of partner as defined under paragraph 1.
3.The partnership shall be involved in the preparation and monitoring of the national strategy plan and in the preparation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the rural development programmes. Member States shall involve all appropriate partners at the various programming stages, due regard being had to the time limit set for each step.
Member States shall be responsible for implementing the rural development programmes at the appropriate territorial level, according to their own institutional arrangements, in accordance with this Regulation.
Member States and the Commission shall promote equality between men and women and shall ensure that any discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation is prevented during the various stages of programme implementation.
This includes the stages of design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.