The funding disbursed in the 3 financial year in favor of the agricultural sector through the Rural Development Programs, co-financed by the European Union thanks to the EAFRD (European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development), amounted to over 2020 billion euros.
Relevant interventions because they are intended to support investments and commitments aimed at accelerating the digital and ecological transition process of the agricultural sector, in line with the most recent European and international guidelines on economic, environmental and social sustainability.
Of the 20.9 billion euros available for the entire 2014-2020 period, over a quarter (27.3%) is destined to support investments in favor of agricultural and agri-food companies that intend to introduce innovations in production processes; 22.1% of the resources is destined to support agricultural enterprises that implement particularly virtuous commitments from an environmental point of view (in particular organic farming, with almost 10% of the programmed resources); 7.8% of the funds are reserved for agricultural businesses operating in mountainous and disadvantaged areas, 7.1% are aimed at supporting young people who wish to start new entrepreneurial activities in the agricultural sector, while 7.0% of the funds are destined for management measures risk, to compensate farmers damaged by natural disasters resulting from climate change. The other measures of the rural development programs are assigned gradually decreasing quotas, the details of which can be found on the website of the rural network, at the link: https://www.reterurale.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/21981
Overall, at the end of 2020, 12.1 billion euros (58%) of the funds allocated to Italy for the entire 2014-2020 period were used, amounting, as mentioned, to 20.9 billion euros. The other 9 billion can be used over the next 3 years.
The spending trend of recent years in the rural development sector is therefore confirmed as stable, always above 3 billion euros per year: 3.19 billion in 2018; 3.03 billion in 2019; 3.05 billion in 2020.
The performances of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, Veneto and Valle d'Aosta were excellent, with an overall progress in expenditure, recorded over the entire period, respectively equal to 78.3%, 69.5% and 67.4% of the allocated budget. The greatest delays are found in some Southern Regions. There are still spending problems for the Puglia RDP.