Fifth annual EU conference on EAFRD financial instruments for agriculture and rural development in 2014-2020

Bucharest
4-5 June 2019
About the event

The fi-compass ‘Fifth annual EU conference on EAFRD financial instruments for agriculture and rural development in 2014-2020’ organised by the European Commission, Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI), in partnership with the European Investment Bank (EIB), took place in Bucharest on 4-5 June 2019, during the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU.

The conference attracted over 200 participants from 19 Member States, who came to hear and exchange experience on the EAFRD supported financial instruments in developing agricultural and agri-food economies.

Video file
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Mr Phil Hogan, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development
Mr Phil Hogan, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development

The conference was opened by Phil Hogan, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, and Petre Daea, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Romanian Presidency. Commissioner Hogan presented the latest policy developments regarding financial instruments in support of agriculture and rural development, and announced the launch of a new initiative for supporting rural infrastructure investments and smart villages. Minister Daea highlighted the importance to facilitate access to finance and how financial instruments represent an innovative way to support Member States and allow them to use EAFRD resources more efficiently.

During the event, both Phil Hogan and Petre Daea gave a short interview about the use and advantages of EAFRD financial instruments.

Silvia Michelini, Director of DG Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission, underlined the importance for managing authorities to continue undertaking ex-ante assessments, as it is key in identifying financing gaps and setting up financial instruments.

Christoph Kuhn, Director Mandate Management, Operations Directorate, European Investment Bank, gave emphasis on the pivotal role of the EIB Group in improving the efficient use of public funds through financial instruments. Marco Marrone, Deputy Director Mandate Management, European Investment Fund, further elaborated on the complementarity between grants and financial instruments and the important role that financial instruments will continue to play in the next multiannual financial framework.

Day one was concluded with a presentation of the Romanian EAFRD financial instrument and followed by a panel discussion with the managing authority, the European Investment Fund (EIF), representatives of two financial intermediaries involved in the implementation of the instrument, and a final recipient, who shared his experience receiving support under the financial instrument.
 

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Mr Petre Daea, Ms Katrina Sichel, Mr Phil Hogan
Event overview
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Bucharest 2019 Day 2
Ms Katrina Sichel, fi-compass expert, Ms Silvia Michelini, Director, DG Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission, Ms Merete Clausen, Head of Unit, DG Economic and Financial Affairs, European Commission, Mr Aivars Lapins, Advisor to the Minister of Agriculture, Latvia, Ms Alena Kubů, Managing Authority, Czech Republic

The second day of the conference was opened by Florentina Tudor, General Director of the Managing Authority at the Romanian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, who gave an overview of the Romanian experience with EAFRD financial instruments.

Speakers from the European Commission then presented:

  • progress made by the EU Member States in the preparation of their CAP Strategic Plans in the framework of the Common Agriculture Policy post-2020, and the role of financial instruments;
  • the new InvestEU that bundles different EU loan and guarantee instruments under one single fund; and
  • the new DG AGRI-EIB pilot technical assistance initiative aimed for managing authorities exploring the opportunities to support rural infrastructure through EAFRD financial instruments.

The remainder of the second day focused on practical examples of EAFRD financial instruments implemented in a number of Member States and regions. Representatives from Latvia, Czech Republic, Croatia, Castile and León (Spain) and Occitanie Region (France) presented advances made and success stories connected with their EAFRD financial instruments.

Peter McGoldrick, Economist at EIB, presented the results from the latest EIB Municipal Investment survey outlining the infrastructure financing needs in small municipalities and in rural areas. Representative from the Managing Authority of Sardinia region, Italy, showed examples of small municipal projects supported through the JESSICA fund in Sardinia.Nikos Mantzoufas from the Greek Ministry of Economy and Development then presented how Greece has managed to overcome the digital divide in remote and sparsely populated rural areas by financing broadband Network Development in Rural ‘White Areas’ through the blending of EU grants and private capital financing in a Public-Private-Partnership scheme.

The two-day conference was concluded by Michael Pielke, Head of Unit of DG Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission.

Presentations

pdf presentation      pdf audio      pdf video      pdf case study

The audio in the video files is in original language of the speakers. The English interpretation is available as audio files.


Title Speakers
video Opening statement

Mr Phil Hogan, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development

video Host welcome and policy statements

Mr Petre Daea, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU

video EU Farm policy statements on the future of EU and Romanian agriculture and its investment needs

Mr Pekka Pesonen, Secretary General of COPA – COGECA

pdf
video
Romania’s agriculture cooperatives’ needs and challenges

Mr Florentin Bercu, President, UNCSV

video Q&A
video Introductory statement from EIB

Mr Christoph Kuhn, Director Mandate Management, Operations Directorate, European Investment Bank

video Introductory statement from EIF

Mr Marco Marrone, Deputy Director Mandate Management, European Investment Fund

pdf
video
Support to the Romanian agriculture with EAFRD financial instrument - Portfolio Risk Sharing Loan

Ms Adela Ştefan, EAFRD Managing Authority, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Romania

pdf
video
EAFRD RO FoF − Portfolio Risk Sharing Loan

Ms Liliana Rodean, Mandate Manager, Northern and CEE, European Investment Fund

video Panel discussion with financial intermediaries and a final recipient under the Romanian financial instrument

Mr Catalin Cepisca, Manager, Structured Finance and Syndications / Credit Products, Raiffeisen Bank, Romania

Mr Marius Nadolu, Head of Treasury Department, ProCredit Bank, Romania

Mr Adrian Broanar, Milkcom, Romania

video Opening statement

Ms Florentina Tudor, General Director of the Managing Authority, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Romania

pdf
video
Preparing for post-2020 – advancing with CAP Strategic Plans

Ms Silvia Michelini, Director, DG Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission

pdf
video
Invest EU 2021-2027 EU budget for the future

Ms Merete Clausen, Head of Unit, DG Economic and Financial Affairs, European Commission

pdf
video
Combining grants and financial instruments

Mr Aivars Lapins, Advisor to the Minister of Agriculture, Latvia

pdf
video
Financial instruments preparation in Czech Republic
video Q&A
pdf
video
New DG AGRI – EIB pilot technical assistance initiative

Mr Michael Pielke, Head of Unit, DG Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission

pdf
video
Challenges for investing in infrastructure at local and regional level

Mr Peter McGoldrick, Economist, European Investment Bank

video Q&A
pdf
video
Support to small municipalities, JESSICA Holding Fund, Sardinia, Italy

Mr Marco Naseddu, ERDF ROP Managing Authority, Sardinia Region, Italy

pdf
video
Support to small municipalities in Sardinia, Italy

Mr Andrea Bua, European Investment Bank

pdf
video
Broadband network development in white rural areas of Greece on PPP basis

Mr Nikos Mantzoufas, Special Secretary for PPPs in Greece at the Ministry of Economy and Development and President of the Investment Board of JESSICA financial engineering instrument, Greece

video Q&A
pdf
video
EAFRD financial instruments: loan and guarantee fund in Croatia

Mr Krešimir Ivančić, Assistant Minister, Croatian Ministry of Agriculture, Croatia

pdf
video
The financial instrument of the Rural Development Programme of Castilla y León (Spain)

Mr Juan José Lozano Barriuso, Managing Authority, Castilla y León, Spain

video Q&A
pdf
video
AGRI financial instruments − The FOSTER Occitanie experience

Mr Stéphane Molinier, Chief Executive Officer, Occitanie Region, France

video Closing remarks

Mr Michael Pielke, Head of Unit, DG Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission

Event pictures
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Mr Petre Daea, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU, Mr Phil Hogan, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development
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Mr Phil Hogan, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development
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Event overview
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Programme
Fifth annual EU conference on EAFRD financial instruments for agriculture and rural development in 2014-2020
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A cincea conferință anuală a UE privind instrumentele financiare pentru agricultură și dezvoltare rurală finanțate din FEADR 2014-2020
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