LAND CONSOLIDATION – A TOOL FOR SUSTAINABLE RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Discussions of the future European rural development policy started in September 2016. Participants at the Cork 2.0 European Conference on Rural Development have declared that an innovative, integrated and inclusive rural and agricultural policy in the European Union (EU) should be guided on ten policy orientations. Rural Europe is home to more than half of the EU population and covers more than three quarters of the territory. Rural areas are also important in the preservation of Europe’s natural and cultural landscapes and heritage. EU support for investment in rural areas should focus on generating added value for society. Land management has a key role in the interface between citizens and the environment. Policies must incentivise the delivery of environmental public goods, including the preservation of Europe's natural and cultural heritage. Increased pressure on natural resources must be met by coordinated cross-sectorial policy responses. These should ensure the sustainable management of natural resources such as water, soil, and biodiversity, being the very means of agricultural and forestry production. There is a need to develop and mainstream innovative, science-based solutions that allow for producing more with less while ensuring that natural resources are at the disposal of future generations. Effective formats of knowledge exchange and advice should be developed and support provided for the adoption of well-designed land management schemes. For achieving the above-mentioned objectives, in the EU regulatory framework is envisaged a possibility for direct and indirect support for land consolidation, as a tool for sustainable rural development.