European Parliament
Hélène Goudin, Nils Lundgren and Lars Wohlin (IND/DEM ),
in writing.
(SV)
Following discussion, in accordance with the conciliation procedure, of the Strategic Guidelines for Rural Development, the European Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development has produced many commendable proposals. The European Parliament is trying, however, continually to exercise more control over the Member States’ agricultural and regional policies. That is something towards which we are unsympathetic.
We do not believe that the Member States can be bound by extensive target-setting documents where rural development is concerned. We have great confidence that the national or regional parliaments in the Member States can cope constructively and successfully with this issue.
We have therefore voted against those amendments that the European Parliament wishes to table to the Council’s document in relation to Strategic Guidelines for Rural Development.

