Going Beyond the Rural Development Programme : A Master Plan for Austria's Rural Areas in the Framework of the CAP

In each of the CAP periods the Austrian Rural Development Programmes have acquired a more integrative character. Starting with measures concerning farms, they have been enlarged with soil, biodiversity and water protection measures, then included also local developments, diversification beyond the agricultural sector and more general quality of life measures and in the recent period putting the focus on knowledge transfer, innovation and climate change. In continuation of this approach the Austrian Ministry of Agriculture has been the driver to create the Master Plan for Rural Areas, which was elaborated on the basis of a broad participation process and seeks to integrate economics, environment, administration, social life and responsibility, infrastructure, mobility and digitisation. Of course, there are many challenges in implementation, as for example the integrative character of objectives and measures faces governance structures based on conventional sectoral divisions. The concepts behind the CAP measures and strategies are discussed on the basis of regional science criteria