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The Situation and Prospects of Hungarian Rural Development Preceding EU Accession
224-231Views:252Today’s Hungarian rural development is defined by the fact, that Hungary will be a member state of the European Union from May 1, 2003. Our accession means the end of a long period, and new rural development programs that are going to build on the basic of previously accepted EU standards and experience will highlight the immediate future.
From the Hungarian rural development programs I especially dealt with the SAPARD, AVOP and NVT, which in my opinion had and will have the greatest influence on the improvement of the Hungarian county. The AVOP and NVT are still under development (or just submitted to the EU), but their role in the future will be particularly essential, because these programs are going the act as the first programs in Hungary as a member state and a lot will depend on them in the improvement of the rural development. -
Clay-pit systems fishfaunistic research in the Middle-Tisza
81-92Views:173After the regulation of the Tisza River the chance of successful fish propagation lessened. Natural spooning places in the river almost completely disappeared. The fish have to find an adequate place for their propagation in the flood plain. The period of spooning usually coincides with flooding of the river. At this time fish try to find the flooded shallow places for spooning. These parts mostly include the clay-pits beside dams, which were accidentally established during construction of the dams. At this place the fry can find the necessary food. After decreasing the flood the fingerlings and a part of the spooners are trapped inclay-pits as these latter ones are not connected with the river bed. The clay-pits usually desiccate during the summer. The trapped fish population is eaten by water birds or harvested by the local man population. This means a great loss for reproduction of some fishspecies.
Within the framework of the Regional Rehabilitation Program at Nagykörű, supported by the “WWF Hungary” and a “SAPARD project,” these clay-pits became connected with each other in a stretch of 5 km, and they were jointed to the Tisza by a collecting channel. The water level has been regulated by a flood gate so that the water enters the holes during the flood and is released later on in to the water bed.
Data on fish were collected from the Nagykörű Whole System, from the Anyita pond and some isolated wholes in Szandaszöllős in 2004 and 2005. First of all fish fry and fingerling were collected and the success of spooning at these places was examined. Fry was harvested by a 60 x 80 cm sized lifting net of 2x3 mm mesh size. In other cases nets used by anglers for catching prey fishes was also used. Data were also collected from local fishermen who participated in saving the fry and fishing of Anyita pond.
Of the several thousand caught fish specimens 28 species were identified, and among them 5 protected and 5 economically important species was found. Protected fishes were as follow: gudgeon (Gobio gobio), bitterling (Rhodeus sericeus amarus), weather fish (Misgurnus fossilis), spined loach (Cobitis elongatoides) and tubenosed goby (Proterorhinus marmoratus). Among economically important fishessamples of asp (Aspius aspius), carp (Cyprinus carpio), wels (Silurus glanis), pike (Esox lucius) and pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) were -
European Funds and the Evaluation of Their Application in the Northern Great Plain Region
191-198Views:166Presently, the process of regionalization is slowly progressing in Hungary. The regional institutional system is young and the institutional experiences are limited. The Hungarian regional development agencies are operated with a limited number of personnel and their budget is only a fraction of EU regional agencies of similar size. There is no unequivocal cooperation between regional development agencies and county development agencies. In the absence of these, the strategical objectives of the region cannot be aligned and the application of consistent development policies cannot be achieved. In the past five-six years the supports from EU Pre-Accession Funds, along with the new tools of regional development policies, have all contributed to the development of the North Great Plain Region. Phare projects – beside supporting development – have played a significant role in forming the approach of individuals who are actively involved in regional development, in promoting cooperation among cross-border and other regions, as well as in preparing the regions to accept EU structural funds. Prior to the May 1st, 2004 EU accession of Hungary, the North Great Plain Region received 24-25% in direct regional development funds in the Nineties. The support per capita in the case of TFC, TEKI and CÉDE has exceeded the national average. The North Great Plain Region has received support from investment type agricultural supports, the Employment Fund and the Touristical Directives that well exceeded the national average, from the sectoral resource funds. However, the applicants of the North Great Plain Region have received little support in the case of environmental, water management and especially road development supports. About 200 applications have been submitted for the SAPARD calls nationally, 32 of these were from the North Great Plain Region. The significance of cooperation among sub-regions is demonstrated by the fact that, except for 15 settlements in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county, all have submitted an application. The efforts of inhabitants is highlighted by the high number of submitted applications, as well as by the significant degree of own contribution. Still, the GDP of the North Great Plain Region has not increased, the rate and tendency of unemployment does not sufficiently reflect the positive effect of supports. The Regional Development Directive has provided support for the development of many small- and medium size enterprises, but their effect did not ensure a sustained economic growth.
The greatest difficulty is that the number of dedicated professionals who are skilled in regional politics and regional development is few. However, advantages of our EU accession can only be exploited if a group of highly skilled professionals is provided on local, county, regional and national level as well. Thus, we need a group of professionals who are informed about the European Union, the EU support forms and most of all about the operation of Structural Funds and Cohesion Funds to establish the suitable institutional background for professionally handling the funds obtained from the EU, to prepare the professional documents to access the funds and to generate development projects to efficiently use the funds as well as establishing connections with the institutions of the EU. Appropriate share from funds coming from the EU is only possible if the country, certain regions, counties and sub-regions can achieve rapid results in the areas listed above. -
Development of and Lessons from the Institution System of the Common Agricultural Policy in Slovenia
43-53Views:174The comprehensive agricultural policy of Slovenia during the setting-up of its agricultural institutional system for implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy has enabled the setting-up and design of the Paying Agency system to handle national and EU subsidies according to schedule. The country has acted on the advice of the European Union to use the introduction of SAPARD measures as a preparatory and experimental field for utilising subsidies after EU accession. Moreover, in addition to the importance of gaining practical experience in the field of implementation of rural development measures, Slovenia has recognised the necessity to become familiar with the application procedures for obtaining direct payments relevant for the largest group of beneficiaries, farmers. Accordingly, farmers have been practicing for 3 years how to fill in application forms, and have gained important experience before opening the most relevant resources. Also, the advisers supporting farmers to obtain subsidies have been trained during the last 3 years, in order to provide real assistance. EU agricultural subsidies are not divided among the Member States; there will be a strong competition not only with the new Member States, but also with the farmers of the more developed EU-15.
Slovenia has done its best in order to launch its farmers – due to the different development levels of the EU-25 Member States – into this very strong competition not like pupils, but at least like mature secondary school students. -
The Natural, Social and Economic Conditions and Opportunities for Development of Balmazujvaros, Especially in the Case of the Co-operative Kvaliko
77-85Views:245Balmazujvaros as a settlement near Hortobagy has to cope with both advantages and disadvantages. Its natural and social conditions are mainly given, the agricultural characteristic is dominant, and the number of the employed is the highest in the agricultural firms and processing industry. Developing the third sector, including hosting, tourism, eco-tourism, thermal-tourism, may be an opportunity for the city. The subsidy for rural development relating to the SAPARD-programme may contribute to this, as the city is the member of the Association of Hajdu Towns.
The agriculture plays an important part in Balmazujvaros in which production and marketing of vegetables and fruits excel. Several farmers realised this opportunity and founded the Marketing Co-operative of Vegetable Producers in Eastern Hungary, that is the Kvaliko. This PO works in a Corporation form and is constantly developing, spreading and expanding its choice making use of the local natural, social and economic conditions and applications for realising its investments. This PO may set an example for the other entrepreneurs and farmers of Balmazujvaros to co-operate and it may be considered as an already realised opportunity.