L'anomalia nella PAC: eterogeneità e dinamiche del Leader in Italia

This book describes how the Leader approach has changed in the Italian rural development policies. The first chapter delas with the overall evolution of the Leader programme between Leader II and Leader+. The second chapter focuses on the main results of the Leader approach over the years and the main lessons we can draw from the implementation of the approach. The third chapter describes the main novelties of this approach in the 2007-2013 programming period in Italy and how different was the implementation in the Italian regionalised system. The fourth chapter highlights the strategies pursued by Local Action Groups in Italy over the time.Finally, the fifth chapter focuses on the role of the National Network in promoting and supporting the development of this approach in the Italian context

Why policies fail? An institutional model explaining success and failure factors of rural development policies in Europe

This paper intends to analyse which are the main mechanisms and factors which bring either to failure or to success rural development policies. This analysis has been done in four Italian regions and in five rural areas, in order to catch macro and “meso” dimensions of success and failure. This analysis take under consideration governance and rules as the main arena where the different stakeholders try to impose their influence and interests at stake. Factors of success and failure operate along the institutional chain starting from the EU to the local level. By their collective action they try to shape rules and governance structures in relation to the impact they perceive on the resource allocation and the transaction costs needed to access to policie

Developing a Territorial Approach for the CAP

In the context of the recent debate on the objectives, measures and funding of a post-2013 CAP, there is growing consensus that one of the rationales of a future policy will be to support the provision of public goods. As a contribution to this debate, the paper draws on several case study examples to illustrate where the territorial approach has been effective in supporting both the provision of environmental public goods and the generation of direct and second order social and economic effects. These include opportunities for rural tourism,recreation and the development of local markets, which over time, have generated further opportunities for public and private investments. In one example in which these positive linkages are very much in evidence, the territorial approach has been operationalised through the Italian LAG Delta 2000, and reinforced through subsequently securing a range of additional financial resources (regional incentives, ESF within EQUAL, cooperation programmes, EU youth programme and Cultura 2000)

Integrated Rural Development Programmes and Projects: An Assessment of the Italian case

It must be recognised that many of the most innovative forms of public intervention in the economy and in social areas are the result of EU policies, including the impulse that these have produced in the regards of national and regional policies. A good example comes from the programmes deriving from European Commission initiatives (INTERREG, LEADER, URBAN, EQUAL, etc.), which have introduced completely new tools, objectives, intervention methods and procedures previously unknown within the framework of policies for national or regional development. The innovative impact that these forms of EU intervention, which originated from specific initiatives of the Commission, have had on the traditional framework of national and regional policies has been considerable, and in many cases even devastating, in that it brought to light the deficiencies, the difficulties and the true and proper incapacity of the internal administrative structure to keep pace with the new and more modern conceptions of public intervention. In those places where the terrain were more fertile and ready to incorporate these new models, they have taken root and been embodied within national and regional policies. Sometimes these new approaches have been financed by regions with their own resources. In such context a growing interest has been focused on integrated programmes and projects. We find that the concept of integrated policies for rural areas, as for every kind of area, is one of the most great challenges of the European, national and regional intervention. In this paper we will try to answer to the following questions: a) which are the main types of integrated policies for rural areas in Italy; b) which are the principal features of the integrated approach in these policies; c) which factors can explain the success or even the lack of success in the Italian context; d) which implications there can be for the implementation in other contexts

Evaluating Structural, Territorial and Institutional Impacts of Rural Development Policies in Italy: Some Lessons for the Future Programming Period (2007-2013)

This paper aims to answer two main questions: a) which kind of impacts are generated under the EU's rural development policy?; and b) what are the main factors influencing the nature and the direction of effects which are generated under the rural development policy? In order to address the first question, the main effects of some important rural development programmes funded by EU and national/regional sources are summarised on the basis of 1994-99 and 2000-06 experiences. For the second issue,which, despite its importance, is frequently under-evaluated because of the relative difficulties in exploring such factors and the predominant tendency of undertaking partial analyses, the role of three key factors is explored: a) the institutional and managing structures that are involved in governing and implementing rural development policy; b) the so-called “first pillar of the CAP”, that is, a group of policies addressed to market and to direct supports to farm income. These policies play a significant role in governing and interacting with impacts generated by rural development policies. Although conceived within a common framework at European level, these policies are implemented through separate and sometimes conflicting modalities and structures at national and regional level; c) the dynamism of the social and economic local context, which plays a role on the side of the policy demand. The paper, on the basis of the scenarios deriving from the EU Financial Perspectives for the 2007-13 period, also raises some conclusions on the potential role that rural development policies can play in the future and on the likely economic and social impacts on the evolution of rural areas

Why policies fail? An institutional model explaining success and failure factors of rural development policies in Europe

This paper intends to analyse which are the main mechanisms and factors which bring either to failure or to success rural development policies. This analysis has been done in four Italian regions and in five rural areas, in order to catch macro and “meso” dimensions of success and failure. This analysis take under consideration governance and rules as the main arena where the different stakeholders try to impose their influence and interests at stake. Factors of success and failure operate along the institutional chain starting from the EU to the local level. By their collective action they try to shape rules and governance structures in relation to the impact they perceive on the resource allocation and the transaction costs needed to access to policie

The EU proposals for rural development after 2013: A good compromise between innovation and conservative choices?

The new proposals concerning the Regulation on Rural Development (RD) policy1 after 2013 is being discussed in EU institutions and Member States. In a previous paper, we put forward a series of proposals concerning the future of rural development policies after 2013. In particular, we outlined the importance of better integration of the Europe 2020 Strategy, a more coordinated and simplified programming system and finally a greater flexibility. This Policy Brief intends to further contribute to the present debate and clarify the main challenges ahead. It argues that the EU proposals move forwards in terms of relevant institutional innovations but move backwards by taking a more conservative stance. Four themes in the Commission’s 2014-2020 proposals that were changed with regards to the current programming period will be analysed: strategic programming, programming design, implementing rules and funding rural development. The three other types of changes (Leader approach, innovation and networking) will be partly taken into consideration

The reform of EU rural development policy and the challenges ahead

The main objective of this paper is to provide proposals for a reform of the future EU Rural Development policy, in the context of the 2014-2020 programming period. To this end, it is necessary to take stock of the main progress achieved by this policy over the past years. Furthermore, this paper intends to discuss the role of the main variables which can influence the future debate on the reform of RD in Europe. This paper is organised in three main sections. The first section summarises the main changes in RD since Agenda 20004 until the latest revision under the Health Check. This analysis seeks to highlight progress and weaknesses emerging from the main reviews carried out in the last decade. The second section is focused on the main variables of the policy context which might in one way or in another shape the content of RDPs after 2013,namely: the reform of the 1st pillar, the EUROPE 2020 strategy and the future of cohesion policy. These three elements are strictly interlinked with the budget reform. This section includes a final comment on the rationales for a common RD policy. The third section develops some proposals concerning the key issues for a more efficient and effective RD (new priorities,a different programming system, a delivery system more strongly based upon a territorial approach and fostering innovation)

Evaluating Structural, Territorial and Institutional Impacts of Rural Development Policies in Italy: Some Lessons for the Future Programming Period (2007-2013)

This paper aims to answer two main questions: a) which kind of impacts are generated under the EU's rural development policy?; and b) what are the main factors influencing the nature and the direction of effects which are generated under the rural development policy? In order to address the first question, the main effects of some important rural development programmes funded by EU and national/regional sources are summarised on the basis of 1994-99 and 2000-06 experiences. For the second issue,which, despite its importance, is frequently under-evaluated because of the relative difficulties in exploring such factors and the predominant tendency of undertaking partial analyses, the role of three key factors is explored: a) the institutional and managing structures that are involved in governing and implementing rural development policy; b) the so-called “first pillar of the CAP”, that is, a group of policies addressed to market and to direct supports to farm income. These policies play a significant role in governing and interacting with impacts generated by rural development policies. Although conceived within a common framework at European level, these policies are implemented through separate and sometimes conflicting modalities and structures at national and regional level; c) the dynamism of the social and economic local context, which plays a role on the side of the policy demand. The paper, on the basis of the scenarios deriving from the EU Financial Perspectives for the 2007-13 period, also raises some conclusions on the potential role that rural development policies can play in the future and on the likely economic and social impacts on the evolution of rural areas

Developing a Territorial Approach for the CAP

In the context of the recent debate on the objectives, measures and funding of a post-2013 CAP, there is growing consensus that one of the rationales of a future policy will be to support the provision of public goods. As a contribution to this debate, the paper draws on several case study examples to illustrate where the territorial approach has been effective in supporting both the provision of environmental public goods and the generation of direct and second order social and economic effects. These include opportunities for rural tourism,recreation and the development of local markets, which over time, have generated further opportunities for public and private investments. In one example in which these positive linkages are very much in evidence, the territorial approach has been operationalised through the Italian LAG Delta 2000, and reinforced through subsequently securing a range of additional financial resources (regional incentives, ESF within EQUAL, cooperation programmes, EU youth programme and Cultura 2000)