South West gears up to debate on CAP post 2013

Rural visit in Dorset
The European Commission visited Dorset on 4 March to visit local rural projects funded by the Rural Development Programme for England in the South West. This visit follows from a successful meeting with officials from the European Commission DG Agriculture and Rural Development organised with South West partners in October last year. The visit allowed local politicians and practitioners in the field to discuss the experience of this Programme especially Local Action and the wider Axis 3. 

            
European Commission officials meet      European Commission officials visit LEADER
with representatives from Dorset           funded projects in Dorset

Beyond 2013: CAP and the South West
On 5 March at Bicton College, Devon, the South West Chamber of Rural Enterprise, the South West Rural Affairs Forum and the South West UK Brussels office jointly organised a successful high level conference on the future of CAP post-2013 in preparation for future Commission CAP proposals. Jean Bernard Benhaiem, European Commission Coordinator for the UK Rural Development Programme in England was one of the keynote speakers for this event, which also included presentations from DEFRA, the NFU and others. In addition, there was a high level panel debate including South West MEPs Julie Girling and Graham Watson and South West RDA Chair Sir Harry Studholme.

  
Beyond 2013 conference on future of the CAP
in Devon