European Council for the Village and Small Town

There was an enlarged meeting of the Advisory Committeee on 3 June.

To see ECOVAST papers submitted to the Commission,  go to:

http://www.arc2020.eu/pg/groups/1390/european-heritage-landscape-and-people/" target="_blank">http://www.arc2020.eu/pg/groups/1390/european-heritage-landscape-and-people/

At the enlarged Advisory Meeting in Brussels ( 3 June 2010) ON CAP
POST 2013, PHIL TURNER said on behalf of ECOVAST:

I Agree with MICHAEL DOWER OF PREPARE who called for a strategy for rural
development - a Common Rural Development Poicy. Funding from many sources
(Rural Development, Structural Funds etc) should be drawn together at
Regional level. For this it was suggested that there should be a deeper
role for LEADER in delivery at regional and sub-regional level. Public
goods ? biodiversity, landscape etc - also include cultural landscape (The
European Union was urged to sign up to the European Landscape Cconvention
of the Council of Europe).
In the context of cultural landscape a special plea was made for built
heritage, as set out in the paper "Europe's Living Landscapes"
produced by Steve Trow in conjunction with Europa Nostra, RED, ECOVAST etc .

This points to built features such as farm buildings, mills etc., which owners
cannot afford to restore without help, including volunteer effort from
rural citizens. . Modest funds could make a difference. This 'built
heritage' should appear in Pillar 2 measures related to agri-environment
and village renewal, for example.