PAC Network of Italy

Rural development in Italy is managed in a decentralized manner by the country's autonomous communities through 21 Strategic Plans, financed through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and national contributions. These Strategic Plans establish the priority strategies and measures to be adopted to address the needs of the specific geographical area to which they relate. Rural development funding through the EAFRD falls within the general framework of the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESI Funds), which also include the Regional Development, Social, Cohesion, and Fisheries Funds. All these funds are managed at the national level by each EU Member State on the basis of Partnership Agreements, which are strategic plans that describe each country's investment objectives and priorities.