Have the Member States and the Commission achieved value for money with the measures for diversifying the rural economy? : Special Report No 6, 2013

Diversifying the rural economy is essential for economic growth, employment and sustainable development in rural areas. This report concludes that the Commission and the Member States have, only to a limited extent, obtained value for money through the funding of the measures aimed at diversifying the rural economy. This was due to a lack of a clear demonstration of the need for support, the absence of specific objectives, and excessively broad eligibility and selection criteria. Member States did not take adequate steps to mitigate the risks of deadweight, displacement and overspending resulting in an inefficient use of resources. The ECA makes recommendations to help the Commission and Member States remedy these weaknesses