Modalities to Promote the Rural Development Research Networks - A French Experience -

According to the official documents of the European Union targeting the new programming period (2007-2013), the two CAP Pillars (market policy and rural development) “should decisively contribute to competitiveness increase, to a better integration of the environmental problems, to job creation, to the development of economy and rural society”. For this purpose, the rural areas from the EU must be prepared to face the many challenges in relation to sustainable rural development, in the conditions of national identity preservation, as a guarantee to a true REVIVAL of rural communities. This desideratum cannot be reached without reconsidering the role and place of RESEARCH-INNOVATION in this field. The existence of rural networks in France is based upon a solid tradition in the associative movement, and their operation improved by the recent experience accumulated under the EU programs in this field, and by promoting the public-private partnerships, in which the state plays an extremely active role. Regardless the field/territory where they operate, these STRUCTURES benefit from all the advantages of networking and can best carry out the SUPPORT role for the development of research networks.