The environment is a cross-cutting theme in the European funding policies. Which are the environmental and agricultural funding opportunities for 2007-2013, and what are the consequences for landscape change and sustainable development? Rainer Müssner in collaboration with Katrina Marsden gave a presentation focusing on these issues at the 14th International Symposium on Problems of Landscape – Ecological Research.

Emphasis of the lecture was the analysis of the funding opportunities resulting from the different funds, such as structural funds, I+II pillars of the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP), 7. Research Framework Programme etc. For example, on the one hand there are budget reductions for rural development (II pillar CAP), but on the other hand there is the LIFE+ programme and other financing instruments for the development of ecological innovation projects and clean technologies.

Renewable energy and biomass production are especially promoted in the EU. Among others, these activities will be supported by structural and cohesion funds for new EU Member States and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) as well as the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP) and the 7. Research Framework Programme. The impacts of these developments on landscape, biodiversity, and landscape ecology research have to be investigated.

In the context of the lecture, Rainer Müssner dealt in particular with funding opportunities for the implementation of NATURA 2000 areas and the Water Framework Directive. Furthermore, the implications which result from the above-mentioned funding opportunities for reaching the goals of the EU Sustainable Development Strategy were presented.