Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Phil Hogan TD has welcomed proposals by the European Commission to increase funding for community led developments in the coming years.
The new proposal encompasses five EU funds including the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund (ESF), the Cohesion Fund (CF), the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). The European Commission this week outlined the framework for the delivery of the EU funds and if implemented, would commence after 2013.
The new EAFRD regulation, which forms part of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), was launched last week in Brussels and also reinforces the centrality of community led local development.