COMPARISON OF IMPLEMENTATION OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES FOCUSSING ON DIVERSIFICATION IN SLOVAKIA IN THE YEARS 2007-2013 AND 2014-2020

The European Union is aware of the importance of agriculture for rural economy and this is the reason why the EU decided to support this sector by means of rural development programmes. The objective of this paper was to compare the support of the development of multifunctional agriculture in Slovakia by the measures of the Rural Development Programme of the Slovak Republic 2007-2013 and the Rural Development Programme of the Slovak Republic 2014-2020 focussing on agricultural diversification. In the elaboration of the paper we used statistical data and information from the databases of the Agricultural Paying Agency and the National Rural Development Network. The data were analysed at the NUTS 3 (regions) and LAU 1 (districts) level of Slovakia. The main indicators under review were the number of applicants for the non-repayable financial contribution, the number of approved and completed projects and the number of entities, which Implemented the projects. In the study we also focussed on financial indicators - the overall sum of the approved and granted contribution for the monitored measure, the share of the approved and granted contribution from the EU, the share of the approved and granted contribution in the overall contribution for the SR, the average number of the approved and completed projects in the individual programming periods and the average amount of g ranted contribution per completed project. The intensity of diversification support at the level of regions was examined on the basis of the granted contribution allocated to agricultural land. In the first programming period between 2007 and 2013 diversification was promoted in support measure 3.1. In the year 2013 the Agricultural Paying Agency recorded in this measure 239 approved projects. The support of diversification into non-agricultural activities was in the second programming period 2014-2020 included in Submeasure 6.4. In the year 2018 it was 173 projects that were approved. In the following years 2019 and 2020 more agricultural entities are likely to participate in the call under the current Rural Development Programme of the Slovak Republic 2014-2020 and diversify their production into non-agricultural activities. The Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union awards subsidies for measures promoting diversification in form of rural development programmes. The measures aim at improving the quality of life of rural population and the support of rural economy.