Conference - A Strong Rural Development Policy - The key to unlocking the CAP's green potential

Dear Sir/Madam,

NABU, RSPB and BirdLife Europe cordially invite you to attend our conference
"A Strong Rural Development Policy: The key to unlocking the CAP?s green potential"
7 June 2012
Museum of Natural Sciences, Rue Vautier 29, 1000, Brussels
What is the future for rural development policy in Europe? Will a coherent and adequately resourced policy emerge from the current CAP negotiations? Is there sufficient focus on meeting Europe?s current environmental ambitions and the role that Pillar 2 must play in this? These and other questions will be addressed in our upcoming conference on 7 June 2012 entitled ?Rural Development Policy: The key to unlocking the CAP?s green potential?, to be held at the Royal Belgian Museum of Natural Sciences, Rue Vautier 29, 1000, Brussels. Birdlife Europe, RSPB and NABU (BirdLife partners in the UK and Germany) invite you to join us for a morning of topical and lively discussion.> Over the past 30 years, agri-environment schemes and rural development policy have become the key means of delivering environmental benefits through agriculture and forestry as well as supporting rural communities. While there has been significant progress, greater efforts are needed if we are to meet the new EU target to halt biodiversity loss and the degradation of ecosystems by 2020 alongside targets for climate mitigation, water quality etc.> Yet rural development policy still seems to be the poor relation to Pillar 1 within the CAP and its budget continues to be under threat from cuts as deals are made on the size and allocation of the EU budget for 2014-2020. Decisions made in the coming months on the CAP and its budget will have far-reaching consequences for the extent to which these environmental challenges will be able to be met in practice.

> This conference provides a platform for decision makers and stakeholders to come together to highlight the central role that rural development policy will need to play in meeting the EU?s environmental targets, and to identify the measures and budgeting arrangements that will be required.> The programme for the event is included below for your information.To register, please reply to victoria.carr@rspb.org.uk at your earliest convenience.

> We very much look forward to seeing you on 7 June.

> BirdLife Europe, RSPB and NABU

Venue: Royal Belgian Museum of Natural Sciences, Rue Vautier 29, 1000 Brussels,http://www.sciencesnaturelles.be/
Chair: David Baldock, IEEP
Proposed Programme
> 09.00-09.30 Registration and coffee
> 09.30-09.45 Introduction to the day from RSPB and NABU
> 09.45-10.15 The current state of play, featuring short presentations from the European Environment Agency, European Commission and European Court of Auditors
> 10.15-10.30 Q&A
> 10.30?11.00 ?Tour of Europe?, highlighting examples of well-functioning Pillar 2 measures
> 11.00-11.15 Q&A
> 11.15-12.00 Panel discussion, featuring representatives from BirdLife, Member State Rural Development departments, COPA (tbc) and MEPs (tbc)
> 12.00-12.15 Concluding comments from RSPB and NABU
> 12.15-13.15 Lunch and networking opportunities
> 13.15 End