Rural development networks

Rural development falls under the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry administers the EU-funded CAP Strategic Plan and is also responsible for national rural policy and island policy.

Rural development networks are horizontal networks connecting different administrative branches and geographical regions across the country. Collaboration is also close between the administration and operators at the grass-roots level. The Finnish Rural Network has been established to speed up the implementation of EU-funded plans and programmes. The Rural Network comprises the key operators involved in the CAP Strategic Plan for Mainland Finland and the Åland Islands. The Network’s activities are directed by a steering group appointed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The Network and the implementation of the CAP Strategic Plan are supported by the Rural Network Unit at the Finnish Food Authority. Each EU Member State has a rural network. Collaboration between these networks is coordinated by the European CAP Implementation Contact Point.

Responsibility for Finland’s national rural policy and island policy is in Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The Rural Policy Committee is a collaboration body appointed by the Government. It operates under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The Rural Policy Committee involves a wide network of operators from the national, regional and local levels. The work to develop island policy is carried out by the Parliamentary Island Committee and its secretariat, which is appointed by the Government for one electoral term at a time. Island policy is implemented through archipelago programmes.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is actively involved in monitoring and developing the various areas of international rural policy at the EU level and in international organisations, such as WTO, FAO and OECD.

Related links

Rural.fi - website on the Finland's CAP plan and European Agricultural Fund and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development
Maaseutuverkosto.fi - Collective platform for all rural developers in Finland
Rural policy in Finland
Island policy in Finland
Structuralfunds.fi
The Village Action Association of Finland
Leadersuomi.fi - Leader provides activities, advisory services and funding
European CAP Network
CAP Implementation Contact Point