Annual evaluation report of Sicily's RDP (2014-2022)
- Evaluation
- LEADER
- Environment
- Climate and Climate Change
- Research & Innovation
- Evaluation
- Ongoing Evaluation
- Evaluation Findings
The report provides an annual evaluation of Sicily's Rural Development Programme (RDP) for 2014-2022, summarising key findings and progress across various focus areas up to March 2022.
- Italy
- Programming period: 2014-2022
- Cross-cutting impacts
This interim evaluation report on the RDP for the Sicilian region, Italy, covers the programming period from 2014 to March 2022. The primary aim of this evaluation is to assess the effectiveness of the RDP measures in achieving the rural development priorities. The evaluation covers all six rural development priorities of the RDP. The scope includes measures supporting innovation and cooperation, farm competitiveness, young farmers, environmental and climate action, biodiversity, resource efficiency, rural services, LEADER and digital connectivity.
The evaluation adopts a quantitative approach based on the statistical processing of secondary data. Data sources span administrative datasets such as the national agricultural information system (SIAN), programme monitoring datasets and official statistical sources. The evaluation centres on the Common Monitoring and Evaluation Framework (CMEF) indicators, complemented by programme-specific indicators, to assess outputs and results against programme objectives. Descriptive analyses of beneficiaries, projects and selection criteria are also used. The analysis is limited by temporal data coverage, slow procedural progress and administrative burden, difficulties in establishing causal relationships (notable for water quality and energy efficiency), incomplete or uneven monitoring data and the frequent need to rely on qualitative assessments due to data gaps and measurement constraints.
Based on the report, key achievements of the programme include:
- Support for small businesses, non-agricultural activities, and job creation in rural areas: progress includes 291 projects funded, creating an estimated 50 jobs.
- Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, carbon sequestration, and efficient water use: effects (although often indirect) include over 107 000 tonnes (t) CO₂ equivalent reductions, about 20 000 t CO₂ eq/year from sub-measure 8.1 and improved irrigation efficiency affecting around 0.62% of irrigated area (c. 1,600 hectares).
- Biodiversity: 25% of Sicily's agricultural land is now organic, meeting EU goals for 2030. Measures preserve landscapes and support endangered breeds and plant varieties.
- Youth and rural development: supported nearly 1 800 young farmers and 1 200 businesses, focusing on modernising farms and promoting renewable energy.
The report’s recommendations include the acceleration of administrative processes and payments for projects; enhancement of monitoring and reporting systems for better evaluation; focusing on measures with high environmental and social impact; supporting innovation and collaboration among Local Action Groups (LAGs); and addressing connectivity gaps in remote areas.
The report's findings suggest that Sicily's 2014-2022 RDP has made progress in organic farming, rural development and environmental measures. However, challenges persist in implementation, notably delays in administrative procedures and financial disbursement, which affect the pace of physical and financial progress in several focus areas.
Author(s)
ISRI, AGT