News
Fallow field
As it nears the end of its term of office (December 2009), the Council for the Rural Area has produced his advisory report ‘Fallow field’ on the future of the rural area in the Netherlands, for which it sees a new position and a different perception of value.
In the past, the rural area has been seen to hold an innate, intrinsic value, whereby urban influences were considered a threat against which it must be protected. Today, the economic and food supply crises, the rapidly growing demand for energy, water shortages, declining biodiversity and climate change raise new societal demands. Moreover, the rural area now derives much of its value from the towns, cities and the urban population. This trend will become even more marked in future.
Like other European countries, the Netherlands is experiencing significant demographic shifts, including a falling birth rate, a more varied ethnic mix due to immigration, and population ageing. The overall result is a reduction in the working population, less demand for housing and schools and greater demand for amenities addressing the needs of the elderly. As young people migrate from the rural areas into the cities, the average age of those left behind is increasing. Seniors generally attach great importance to the quality of their human environment. Because the number of households will continue to decrease, there is now an opportunity to create more space for nature and agriculture, and to explore new ways of addressing various social and societal requirements.
At the same time, it will be possible to counter trends of urbanization and the 'estrangement' of the general public from rural areas.
Read the summary of the advisory report 'Fallow field'
November 2009
Land Use in an Era of Global Change
In 2009 the Working Group Agriculture and Land Use of the EEAC has covered the subject of land use. The EEAC (European Environment and Sustainable Development Advisory Councils) is a collaboration of national and regional advisory councils across Europe, which undertakes analysis, facilitates public debate and provides advice to national and regional governments. The EEAC Working Group finalized the report summarizing the results of the seminar ‘Land Use in an Era of Global Change’ held in Brussels on 5 June 2009. This seminar aimed to develop a better understanding of global land use and discuss questions about how to govern land use at a landscape level. The EEAC will take up the issue of Land Use in its Annual Conference in October 2010, which will take place in Bruges (Belgium).
Read the results of the seminar ‘Land Use in an Era of Global Change’
Read the accompanying letter to European Commissioner Fischer Boel
October 2009
Towards Sustainable European Infrastructures
On 23rd of October 2009 at the Annual Conference of EEAC representatives of national environmental and sustainable development councils presented the EEAC statement 'Towards Sustainable European Infrastructures’. The EU will need a new more integrated and strategic approach in planning for electricity, transport and green infrastructure networks, in the view of its long term decarbonisation, biodiversity and sustainable development targets. The Councils therefore call for a review of the conventional 'predict and provide' approach. A key challenge will be to establish a Transeuropean long-distance grid for renewable electricity based on sustainability principles.
Read the statement
Read the EEAC press release
October 2009
Coral reefs in the Netherlands
With the accession of Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba (BES islands) to the Netherlands, the Dutch Government’s political responsibility for the nature of the islands has increased considerably. The size of the nature area has increased slightly, but the increase in its quality is spectacular. The Caribbean coral reefs and cloud forests stand next to dunes, moorland and field margins as important landscapes of the Netherlands.
Local island government has a great administrative responsibility, but the final responsibility for the results of policy falls to the Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. The responsibility for the process of achieving new political relationships within the Kingdom lies with the State Secretary for the Interior and Kingdom Relations.
The purpose of this advice, drafted on the initiative of the Council for the Rural Area, is to provide suggestions for the Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality and the State Secretary for the Interior and Kingdom Relations to enable them to realise these political responsibilities.
Read the advisory report 'Coral reefs in the Netherlands'
June 2009
Sustaining Europe for a Long Way Ahead
At the annual plenary session of EEAC held in Bordeaux on 11 October 2008, representatives of
national environmental and sustainable development councils presented the EEAC statement ' Sustaining Europe for a long way ahead'.
They also decided to give their view on the
financial situation in the context of their statement resulting in the Bordeaux Declaration.
This Declarartion is addressed to the Council of the EU and the European Commission, as well as for EEAC member councils to take to their national governments. Three Dutch councils, VROM-raad, RMNO and RLG, sent the statement and declaration to the Minister for Environment, Mrs. Cramer, and minister for Agriculture, Nature and Food quality, Mrs. Verburg (letter to the minister).
Read the statement
October 2008
RLG-network meeting and debate: EU-policy and biomass in rural areas
On 24 April the Dutch Council for the Rural Area (RLG) held a meeting in Residence Palace, Brussels. The Dutch Permanent Representation of the EU informed the council about the latest EU policy developments as to rural areas in relation to the working programme of RLG. John Bensted-Smith, DG Agriculture gave a short introduction to the present state of the CAP Health Check. The afternoon programme was focussed on biomass. RLG is now finalising a report on Biomass in Rural Areas. As input for this report a debate was held to exchange views and information on the latest policy developments as to biomass and rural areas. The debate focused on EU-policy objectives and targets for biomass for energy, threats and opportunities for the rural areas and the dilemma between giving room for learning experiences and the necessity for risk management. The debate started with a presentation by Mauro Poinelli, DG Agriculture, about the EU policy objectives on biomass, followed by introductions from the Netherlands (RLG, Huib Silvis), Sweden (former MVB, Erik Westholm) and Austria (OEVAF, Alexander Bachler) and a lively debate. At the end Ursula Vavrik, independant consultant, gave a reflection on the results: not only highlighting what had been said, but also signalling what had not been mentioned.
Introduction Huib Silvis:
Network meeting and debate 'Energy from Biomass in European Areas'
April 2008
Activity Report 2007: Globalisation, Land Use Change and the Common Agricultural Policy
This report presents an overview of the activities of the EEAC Working Group Agriculture and Rural Development in 2007. During the year the working group organised two international seminars, one on the global economic drivers of land use change and the other on assessing the environmental impact of major changes to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). In addition to the seminars, a study was commissioned on implementation of the CAP in 27 EU Member States.
Read the Activity Report 2007
Read the accompanying letter (in Dutch) to Dutch Minister Verburg
Read the accompanying letter to European Commissioner Fischer Boel
March 2008
Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy
On 11 March 2008 the EEAC Working Group Agriculture and Rural Devleopment held a working group meeting in Brussels with an agenda around two themes:
• Reform of the CAP: the public debate.
• EU-budget and CAP: public value for public money.
See programme and presentations
March 2008
CAP in 27 Member States
The study, presented as a website, provides an overview of how 27 EU Member States have been implementing the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and what they think about its future role.
Visit the website
November 2007
Seminar 'Assessing the environmental consequences of major CAP changes'
The EEAC Seminar 'Assessing the environmental consequences of major CAP changes took place in Brussels, on 28 and 29 June 2007. It was organised by the EEAC Working Group on Agriculture and Rural Development (EEAC WG Agriculture).
Read the programme and the presentations
July 2007
Seminar 'Global economic drivers for land use change'
The EEAC Seminar 'Global economic drivers for land use change' took place in Amersfoort, The Netherlands on 30 March. It was organised by the EEAC Working Group on Agriculture and Rural Development (EEAC WG Agriculture).
Read the results
March 2007
Appointment of new Chairman and Members of the Council
for the Rural Area
On the recommendation of the Minster of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, the Cabinet has agreed with the appointment of the new Chairman and members of the Council for the Rural area. At January 19th 2006 the Chairman and the members are officially inaugurated by the Agricultural Minister and by Royal Decree appointed for a four-year period. The new Chairman is professor Peter van Wijmen. The Council has twelve members in total. Two members of the Council for the Rural Area were reappointed for this term: Mr Koos Koolen and Mr Huib Silvis. The Council for the Rural Area is the Agricultural Minister's main independent advisory body. The Council advises the Government and the Parliament on strategic choices for the medium and long term. The recommendations deal with the basic ideas of the policy and cover the whole policy domain of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. Ms H. de Wilde is General Secretary.
The Chairman
• Mr P.C.E van Wijmen, Professor and Extraordinary Councillor (Peter)
The members
• Ms J.M. van Bijsterveldt, Administrator (Marja)
• Mr B.J.M van Essen, Sociologist (Ben)
• Mr J.T.G.M. Koolen, Independent Advisor (Koos)
• Ms J. Lamberts, Dairy Farmer (Jannie)
• Ms M.J.A. Margadant-van Arcken, Philosopher, Educationalist (Marjan)
• Ms T. Metz, Author and Journalist (Tracy)
• Ms M.C. van Schendelen, Independent Advisor for Spatial Developments (Marijke)
• Mr H.J. Silvis, Economist (Huib)
• Mr F. Tielrooij, Politician (Frans)
• Mr M.J.W. van Twist, Public Administrator (Mark)
• Mr C.J.G.M. de Vet, Burgomaster of Leusden (Kees Jan)