Research On Rural Development Policy In France

With the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reforms, the European Union (EU) Rural Development Policy emerged as the second pillar of the Common Agricultural Policy, which further promotes the agriculture development together with the first pillar (agricultural marketing support policy). France is one of the major EU member states, and its Rural Development Policy is a policy choice and specific implementation of the national level under the framework of EU Rural Development Policy. We could deeply understand Rural Development Policy and provide broader thinking space for China's Rural Development Policy through the research on the generation and evolution of French Rural Development Policy and the exploration the policy experiences.On the basis of the definition of the "rural", the paper analyzes the background of French Rural Development Policy, including the French countryside status, the Common Agricultural Policy reforms and environment protection. Secondly, the paper summarizes the objectives and characteristics of French Rural Development Policy and analyzes the main policy measures through the logic method. Thirdly, with the comparison between the new and old policy, the paper analyzes the role of financial support in the French Rural Development Policy. Finally, the paper analyzes the effects of French Rural Development Policy.Given the above analyses, this paper draws the following conclusions: Firstly, French Rural Development Policy emerged with the background of countryside status in France and Common Agricultural Policy reforms; Secondly, the goals of the French Rural Development Policy emphasize on the balance among production, environment and income; Thirdly, selectivity in the implementation of the rural development policy enhances the operability and flexibility; Fourthly, the unified rural development fund increases the use efficiency of moneys; Fifthly, French Rural Development Policy pays attention to the less favored areas, environmental protection, human capital; Finally, the French Rural Development Policy in general is successful, effective, and helpful to solve the issues related to rural development.Based on the analyses given above, this paper puts forward that policy background, historical conditions, the relationship between the policy implementation and policy objectives, the rationality of policy formulation and the problems should be thoroughly understood and analyzed. At the same time, the paper proposes that China should further intensify the rural environment protection, support the less favored areas, increase the trainings for farmers, to promote harmony development between people and nature, and narrow the gap between the rural and the urban, finally to promote the sustainable development in rural areas.