Sustainable Rural Development Programme 2010-2014 in Catalonia

Sustainable Rural Development program, valued at 141.9 M € for Catalonia in the period 2010-2014, corresponding to MAGRAMA funding 50 percent, for the implementation of concerted actions included in the plans of area. This program will develop a rural policy and its own complement EU policies of rural development.

In this regard, a major challenge on which was to guide the preparation of area plans is to correct the population imbalance of the current model of geographical distribution of Catalonia, with a high concentration of population around large urban and metropolitan areas, and high tourist pressure on the Catalan coast, at the expense of the interior and mountainous areas of Catalonia, which are losing population. Therefore, the area plans include measures that will enhance the rural tourist attraction, re valuing the natural environment and traditional activities, and will involve the improvement of basic public services and media.

The areas of application of this new model will, as a rule, the territorial areas of the Local Action Groups that manage the LEADER funding, in order to unite the rural development programs, also on a regional level.

Within this program, Catalonia has proposed to include 16 rural areas across the regional territory, with an area of 21,550 km2 and a population of 430,822 inhabitants, executing and applying actions included in the four areas of economic activities and employment, infrastructure and basic services and social welfare, and environment.

Four of these rural areas to revitalize considered first priority level (Garrigues and Segrià South; Pallars Jussà, Pallars Subirà and Alta Ribagorça, Priorat and Baix Camp Northwest, and Segarra, Solsona, Anoia northwest Bages west), areas that have a weight of agriculture in GDP, but with a population density lower than the national rural average.

The program also will act on both the rural and peri-qualified (Alt Penedès and Baix Empordà Alt Empordà south and east), which have a population density higher than the national rural average and are characterized by their proximity to major urban centers tourism, as Vilafranca and Figueres.

The remaining ten regions in the project, considered intermediate rural areas with a priority level second order, occupy more than half of the territory and are home to almost 64 percent of the rural population of Catalonia.


More information about the PDRS 2010-2014 in Catalonia