Forest measures planned within the Rural Development Plans in Italy

Abstract

The paper deals with the implementation problems related to the forest measures within the Rural Development Plans approved in Italy as a consequence of Regulation 1257/99. After a brief presentation of the results of Regulations 2080/92 and 867/90, a detailed analysis of the forest measures implemented in Objective 1 Regions and in the centre and north Italy is reported. Financial aspects are considered according to a classification in three categories of the funds devoted to the forest measures: financing of new afforestation measures, financing of the afforestation activities already approved through Reg. 2080/92, funding of forest measures not related to afforestation programs. As a main result of the analysis it is pointed out that afforestation measures still have a leading role in public spending in the forest sector. Forest investments co-financed by the European Commission are now of major importance in public spending by Italian Regions and forest policy seems considerably conditioned by the needs and expectations of the Common Agriculture Policy reform.