Council Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 (repealed)Show full title

CHAPTER I PROGRAMMING CONTENT

Article 15 Rural development programmes

1. The EAFRD shall act in the Member States through rural development programmes. These programmes implement a rural development strategy through a set of measures grouped together in accordance with the axes defined in Title IV, for the achievement of which aid from the EAFRD will be sought.

Each rural development programme shall cover a period between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2013.

2. A Member State may submit either a single programme for its entire territory or a set of regional programmes.

3. Member States with regional programmes may also submit for approval a national framework containing common elements for these programmes.

Article 16 Content of programmes

Each rural development programme shall include:

(a)

an analysis of the situation in terms of strengths and weaknesses, the strategy chosen to meet them and the ex ante evaluation referred to in Article 85;

(b)

a justification of the priorities chosen having regard to the Community strategic guidelines and the national strategy plan, as well as the expected impact according to the ex ante evaluation;

(c)

information on the axes and measures proposed for each axis and their description, including the specific verifiable objectives and indicators referred to in Article 81 that allow the programme’s progress, efficiency and effectiveness to be measured;

(d)

a financing plan, comprising two tables:

• a table setting out, in accordance with Article 69(4) and (5), the total EAFRD contribution planned for each year. When applicable, this financing plan shall indicate separately within the total EAFRD contribution the appropriations provided for the regions eligible under the Convergence Objective. The planned annual EAFRD contribution shall be compatible with the Financial Perspectives;

• a table setting out for the entire programming period the total Community contribution planned and the matching national public funding for each axis, the EAFRD contribution rate for each axis and the amount earmarked for technical assistance. When applicable, this table shall also indicate separately the planned EAFRD contribution for the regions eligible under the Convergence Objective and the matching national public funding;

(e)

for information, an indicative breakdown of the initial amounts by measure in terms of public and private expenditure;

(f)

where applicable, a table on additional national financing per axis in accordance with Article 89;

(g)

the elements needed for the appraisal under competition rules and, when applicable, the list of aid schemes authorised under Articles 87, 88 and 89 of the Treaty to be used for the implementation of the programmes;

(h)

information on the complementarity with the measures financed by the other common agricultural policy instruments, through cohesion policy as well as by the Community support instrument for fisheries;

(i)

programme implementing arrangements, including:

(i)

the designation by the Member State of all the authorities provided for in Article 74(2) and for information a summary description of the management and control structure;

(ii)

a description of the monitoring and evaluation systems, as well as the composition of the Monitoring Committee;

(iii)

the provisions to ensure that the programme is publicised;

(j)

the designation of the partners referred to in Article 6 and the results of the consultations of the partners.

Article 17 Balance between objectives

1. The Community financial contribution to each of the three objectives referred to in Article 4 shall cover at least 10 % of the EAFRD total contribution to the programme for axis 1 and 3 referred to in Sections 1 and 3 respectively of Chapter I of Title IV and at least 25 % of the EAFRD total contribution to the programme for axis 2 referred to in Section 2 of Chapter I of Title IV. For the programmes of the French overseas departments, the minimum Community financial contribution for axis 2 shall be 10 %.

2. 5 % at least of the EAFRD total contribution to the programme shall be reserved for axis 4 referred to in Section 4 of Chapter I of Title IV. This amount contributes to the percentages laid down in paragraph 1. For the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia, the minimum Community financial contribution for axis 4 of 5 % may be phased in over the programming period in such a way that on average at least 2,5 % of the EAFRD total contribution is reserved for axis 4.