An Interim Assessment of the Impacts of the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020

The Rural Development Programme LE 14-20 implements the "second pillar" of the Common Agricultural Policy in Austria. This programme has an annual volume of approximately 1 billion € and is half financed by the EU. The main objectives of the programme are to maintain agricultural production in disadvantaged areas, to promote organic farming and to support investments in modern animal husbandry systems. Other measures concern the development of human capital and the establishment of social services in rural areas. The results show that not only rural regions benefit from the programme, but also urban centres with few beneficiaries. As the programme has many objectives, conflicts of objectives are unavoidable. In subsequent programmes, these should be reduced wherever possible.