MEMO/07/601
Brussels, 20 December 2007
Rural Development plan for the Region of Åland (Finland)
Region profile:
- Size: 6 739 km2; 22 % of this is land and 78 % water
- 26 800 inhabitants; 100% live in rural areas (OECD)
- Unemployment rate is 2.3 %
- In 2006, approximately 580 agricultural holdings managed around 14 000 hectares of arable land (9 % of the land area)
- 100% of the area is less favoured
- Employment in agriculture and forestry: 4.5 % of the labour market, primary production accounted for 2.9 % of GDP in 2005
- Compared with the Mainland Finland, natural conditions relatively favourable, fragmented farm structure, high transport costs due to insular location
- Emphasis on the environmental and landscape values of rural areas
- Small scale production and processing
- The largest agricultural products are: milk, sugar beets and onions
Chosen strategy corresponding to the profile:
The overall objectives are:
- To ensure that Åland's rural and archipelagic areas retain their attraction as places to live and run businesses
- To preserve the traditional characteristics of the Åland landscape
- To ensure that Åland's farmers and foresters achieve a high degree of competitiveness, based on efficiency, high productivity, quality and sustainable use of natural resources.
Budget overall and share of EU funding
|
|
Public Expenditure
|
||
|
Axis
|
Total Public Expenditure
|
Share of EAFRD in Public expenditure in %
|
EAFRD Contribution
|
|
Axis 1
|
8 391 195
|
40
|
3 356 478
|
|
Axis 2
|
43 965 857
|
26,72
|
11 747 677
|
|
Axis 3
|
1 688 238
|
50
|
844 119
|
|
LEADER
|
1 643 853
|
55
|
904 119
|
|
T A
|
1 254 366
|
50
|
627 183
|
|
Total
|
56 943 509
|
30,7
|
17 479 576
|
* Leader financing in this table is already allocated to axis 3.
Overall aim of RD programme in the region:
- To ensure that Åland's rural and archipelagic areas retain their attraction as places to live and run businesses
- To preserve the traditional characteristics of the Åland landscape
- To ensure that Åland's farmers and foresters achieve a high degree of competitiveness, based on efficiency, high productivity, quality and sustainable use of natural resources.
Axis 1 budget allocation and main priorities:
Total public funding of € 8.4 million, of which the contribution of the EAFRD will be € 3.4 million
Main priorities:
- Modernisation of agricultural holdings
- Setting up of young farmers
- Adding value to agricultural and forestry products
Axis 2 budget allocation and main priorities:
Total public funding of € 44.0 million, of which the contribution of the EAFRD will be €11,7 million
Main priorities:
- Agri-environmental payments
- Payments to farmers in areas with handicaps, other than mountain areas
Axis 3 budget allocation and main priorities:
Total public funding of € 1.7 million, of which the contribution of the EAFRD will be € 0.8 million
Main priorities:
- Diversification into non-agricultural activities
- Creation and development of micro-enterprises
Leader budget allocation:
Total public funding of € 1.6 million, of which the contribution of the EAFRD will be
€ 0.9 million
Majority of the Axis 3 measures will be implemented through Leader.
