EU farm ministers reached a deal on the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy on 26 June 2003.  The agreement follows months of debate about the future of the CAP based on initial proposals published by the European Commission in Summer 2002 and revised in January 2003.

The principles enshrined in the reform are the need for farming to move away from dependence on production subsidies and the desire to encourage more sustainable farming practices.

Please use the following links to find out more about CAP reform and the implications for Devon and the South West:

• Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)
• The state of farming in Devon and the impact of CAP reform on Devon's agriculture

Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) 2007-2013

With the current rural development programme coming to an end, the new RDPE will provide a package of funding programmes to support sustainable farming, forestry and food, together with wider benefits for the economy, the environment and rural communities.

The proposed priorities for the next programme come under three core themes:

• enhancing the environment and countryside - Environmental Stewardship will be at the heart of this
• making agriculture and forestry more competitive and sustainable - this theme will focus on skills, knowledge transfer and innovation
• enhancing opportunity in rural areas - investing in skills, enterprise and innovation, targeting support to those in rural areas that need it most, whether in the farming sector or the broader rural economy