Rural Development Policy - the "Cork Declaration"
A conference on the future shape of Rural Development Policy took place in Cork, Ireland on the 7-9 November 1996. At the conclusion of the three days of discussion, in which over 500 people participated, the "Cork Declaration" was presented. This declaration represents the views of the participants as to the requirements of the post-1999 Rural Development Policy. In summary, it lays emphasis on increasing the profile and priority of rural development - in particular by allocating a growing share of available resources to it, providing support for development in all rural areas, and introducing more subsidiarity, simplification and integration in relation to the various different measures available to support rural development. The Irish Presidency has indicated its intention of having this declaration endorsed by the European Council in Dublin in December. Commenting on the conference, which was sponsored by the European Commission, Mr. Franz Fischler, Commissioner responsible for agriculture and rural development, recognized the genuine concern of participants that if decisive action is not taken soon the rural areas of the EU will suffer irreparable damage in the form of rural depopulation. "The EU must decide", he said, "what price it is willing to pay to maintain or reinvigorate the economic and social fabric of rural areas, or indeed what price it will have to pay for the economic and social implications of the urbanization which will inevitably arise due to rural depopulation". Funds available for rural development for the 1994-1999 period amount to ECU 30,000 million.