European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development

The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) supports European policy on rural development. It finances rural development programmes across the Member States. Programmes are designed in cooperation between the European Commission and the Member States, taking into account the strategic guidelines for rural development policy adopted by the Council and the priorities laid down by national strategy plans.

It focuses currently on three main objectives

• fostering the competitiveness of agriculture

• ensuring the sustainable management of natural resources, and climate action

• achieving a balanced territorial development of rural economies and communities including the creation and maintenance of employment