The Government of the Azores, through the Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and the Environment, promotes a public session to mark the official closure of Rural Development Programme that was in force in 2007-2013 to be held in Ponta Delgada next Thursday at 4 PM.
 
In this public session, included in the 10th and last meeting of PRORURAL Monitoring Committee, the Government will present the assessment regarding the implementation of this programme in the Region. The event will be attended by the representatives of the European Commission as well as by several regional and national entities.
 
The PRORURAL Monitoring Committee is responsible for approving the selection criteria of operations to finance and evaluate on a periodical base the progress towards the accomplishment of the goals established in regional development programs co-financed through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD).
 
It is also in charge of examining the results of the implementation of the programme and, especially, the accomplishment of the goals set for each axis, in addition to ongoing evaluations.
 
Moreover, this body also reviews the annual and final implementation reports before submitting them to the European Commission and may propose to the Managing Authority in the Region, the Regional Directorate of Rural Development, any adjustment or revision.
 
The Monitoring Committee comprises various departments of the Regional Government of the Azores, the Azores Agricultural Federation, the Association of Municipalities of the Autonomous Region of the Azores, public authorities, Local Action Groups as well as a representative of environmental non-governmental organisations Environment and a representative of the regional body for Gender Equality.
 
In addition, the committee also includes representatives of the European Commission, IFAP, the Certification, Audit and Control  bodies of the University of the Azores, the Regional Wine Committee and also the managing bodies of rural development programmes of Mainland Portugal and Madeira.
 
On the following day, June 3, the Monitoring Committee of PRORURAL+, in force for the 2014-2020 programming period, meets for the second time in Ponta Delgada at 9:30 AM.
 
The permanent seat on the committee was also extended to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Azores, AFloresta dos Azores - Azores Forestry Association, Amigos dos Açores Ecological Association, Azorica - Association for the Defence of the Environment and a representative of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Sea.