Common agricultural policy CAP: information measures (Regulation (EC) No 1258/99)

The Commission has presented a report which examines the implementation of Council Regulation 814/2000/EC for the years 2000, 2001 and 2002. An impact assessment of the measures taken under this Regulation will be made in the near future within the specific framework of the Commission evaluation policy. The report states that the CAP is in the forefront of the response to changing world circumstances, as well as to the new aspirations and expectations of citizens, consumers and taxpayers. The information policy should reflect these changes by being an instrument which explains clearly to all interested parties - farmers, food industry and trade - as well as to civil society in general, the opportunities which exist for farmers and others living in the rural environment to improve their standard of living whilst respecting nature and preserving the landscape for future generations. The need to reinforce the media content of the actions in line with the preoccupations of civil society and the challenges facing communicators in the 21st century has been recognised by the introduction in Commission Regulation 2208/2002/EC of the "media plan". The experience of the past three years seems to have been generally positive in terms of the quality of actions financed and co-financed.Experience indicates that there is no reason to modify at this stage the two pillars of the information policy: co-financed actions submitted by third parties (grants) and actions undertaken at the Commission initiative and financed at 100%. It is necessary to maintain the breakdown of spending between these two pillars at similar levels. Moreover, reflection should also take place on the possibility of re-enforcing dialogue on information policy with the Member States' representatives in the context of the Commission Annual Activity Programme. Lastly, the coming evaluation and impact assessment that will be undertaken by the Commission services will provide the appropriate guidance to improving the overall cost/benefit of the policy and the efficacy of the actions undertaken in the contexts of both the grants and the Commission own initiatives. �