A total of €405 million of the 2014 budget of €1,202 million is being allocated to various co-financed Rural Development measures in the 2014 estimates. €210 million has been allocated to measures that were included under the 2007 to 2013 Rural Development Programme and a further allocation of €195 million has been allocated to less favoured areas pending completion of the drafting of the new 2014 – 2020 Rural Development Programme. Details are as follows:
-
|
€ million
|
REPs4
|
123
|
AEOS I/II & III
|
61
|
Early Retirement
|
10
|
TAMS
|
15
|
Biofuels
|
1
|
Less Favoured Areas
|
195
|
Total
|
405
|
Work is currently ongoing to design the new Rural Development Programme (RDP) for the period from 2014 – 2020. Final decisions in relation to what measures are to be included in the new RDP have not yet been made. Associated EU co funding with the above expenditures in so far as the current 2007 /13 Rural Development Programme is concerned will, under EU rules, be held by the Commission until such time as the EU’s programme closure process has been fully completed for all Member States. However, in the case of the existing agri environment measures, namely REPs4, it is expected that EU transition arrangements will enable Member States to draw down some co funding under the new 2014 – 2020 Rural Development in 2014 against REPs4 expenditure to be incurred in 2014. The estimated EU co funding that will be drawn down by Ireland in 2014 is €180 million.