Rural Policy Committee
The Rural Policy Committee, appointed by the Government, prepares national rural policy and develops the rural policy system. Through its work, the committee supports both regional and local rural development and contributes to more efficient utilisation of the programmes co-financed by the EU and of other rural development instruments. Work is done in cooperation between the State, municipalities, companies and associations, and rural policy measures are directed at all residents irrespective of their occupation, age or gender. In recent years, the number of tasks has increased; for instance, international cooperation and exchange of information have become an integral part of the committee’s activity.
The Rural Policy Committee has existed since 1988. The term of the present committee runs from 2 June 2005 to 31 May 2008.
Tasks of the Rural Policy Committee
- To promote cooperation in rural policy
- To draw up and implement the Rural Policy Programme and, based on this, to assist the Government in drawing up the Special Rural Policy Programme
- To prepare means to promote programme and project activities for rural policy
- To prepare actions to improve rural entrepreneurship and employment
- To promote the creation of network projects which cross the thematic and regional boundaries especially in the wood product sector, small and medium-sized food enterprises, rural tourism, telecommuting and village action, taking advantage of the financing under the EU Objective programmes and Community initiatives
- To reinforce the basic operating structure of the countryside, rural research and knowhow
- To prepare opinions on rural policy issues concerning several administrative sectors and issue statements relating to rural policy solutions
- To develop joint services for rural areas and forms of reorganising the services
- To launch programme and project activities which increase interaction between rural and urban areas and control migration in cooperation with the urban policy actors.
The Rural Policy Committee has 10–15 theme groups in different fields. They outline the national development work on their own specific theme and constitute the national party in the network of the field.
