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SEMINAR 1998 |
THE ARKLETON TRUST
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[CONTENTS] [NEXT PAGE] |
3.2.4. Sustainability and fiscal austeritySustainable development is mentioned in several places in the Cork Declaration and we must assume that it refers generally to the Treaty of Union, which uses a Brundtland type definition and makes it an objective of all EU policies. The Declaration states that policies should promote rural development which 'sustains the quality and amenity of Europe's natural resources, biodiversity and cultural identity so that their use by today's generation does not prejudice the options for future generations'. The question of whether all rural and regional development programmes and sectoral policies in relation to agriculture, transport etc. are sustainable in terms of preserving of the natural, social and cultural capital emerges. The environmental legislation framework concerning implementation of agricultural policy needs to be reassessed. A lack of evaluation and control over the implementation of Accompanying Measures is evident. Besides, the linkages between protective mechanisms (e.g. environmental regulations) and the decisions about the menu of Accompanying Measures and the agricultural reform proposals in general remain unclear.There is an increasing emphasis placed on the need for 'self-sustaining' private and public initiatives. This may reflect a concern in some quarters that some initiatives funded by the Structural Fund programmes, and perhaps also LEADER, may not be viable following the ending of public support. Alternatively, many such initiatives may have recurrent expenditure implications which are not sustainable in the longer term, especially in an era of fiscal austerity.
[The Funds] |