Evaluation of rural development programmes, related evaluation tasks and related reporting requirements are established in the EU’s legal framework at different levels.
Basic legal acts lay down the fundamental requirements to evaluate EU policy interventions implemented in the form of operational programmes. There are three principal legal acts, which have to be followed when conducting the RDP evaluation.
At the EU level, Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 concerns the common provisions for regulating ESI Funds:
- Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and laying down general provisions for the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006.
At the level of the Common Agricultural Policy, Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 establishes the framework for monitoring and evaluation of the whole CAP:
- Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on the financing, management and monitoring of the Common Agricultural Policy and repealing Council Regulations (EEC) No 352/78, (EC) No 165/94, (EC) No 2799/98, (EC) No 814/2000, (EC) No 1290/2005 and (EC) No 485/2008.
At the level of pillar II of the CAP, Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 establishes the Common Monitoring and Evaluation System:
- Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005.
Implementing acts set up the rules for practical implementation of the above regulations. Among them, the following implementing acts are the most relevant for the evaluation of RDPs:
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 808/2014 specifies the elements of the Common Monitoring and Evaluation System for rural development:
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 808/2014 of 17 July 2014 laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on support of rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD).
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 834/2014 establishes indicators allowing for the assessment of the progress, effectiveness and efficiency of the CAP and specifies the provision of information by Member States to the Commission for the purpose of monitoring and evaluation.
