Rural Development Programme for England/LEADER

The Rural Development Programme is jointly funded by the European Union, through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, and the Government.

The RDPE 2007-13 has a budget of £3.9 billion. £3.3 billion is allocated to agri-environment and other land management schemes. This funding will help farmers to manage the land more sustainably and deliver important outcomes on biodiversity, landscape and access, water quality and climate change.

Some £600 million has been made available to make agriculture and forestry more competitive and sustainable and to enhance opportunity in rural areas.