Evaluation of the Lithuanian Rural Development Programme for 2014-2020

The evaluation analyses the financial implementation of the Lithuanian RDP 2014-2020, the implementation of the programme’s priorities and focus areas, and the achievement of milestones set in the performance framework.

The evaluation is based on data provided by the Managing Authority and Paying Agency. It covers all relevant common monitoring and evaluation framework (CMEF) indicators of the Lithuanian 2014-2020 RDP.

The report compares financial progress and development in achieving target indicators at RDP priority and focus area levels. Until the end of 2022, the RDP Focus Areas with the highest financial progress were 6C (enhancing the accessibility, use and quality of information and communication technologies (ICT) in rural areas), 2B (Facilitating the entry of adequately skilled farmers into the agricultural sector and generational renewal), and the Priority 4 (restoring, preserving and enhancing ecosystems). The lowest progress in financial implementation was achieved under the Focus Areas 5C (facilitating the supply and use of renewable sources of energy (34% of allocated support paid)), 3A (improving competitiveness of primary producers by better integrating them into the agri-food chain (47% of allocated support paid)) and 5D (reducing greenhouse gas and ammonia emissions from agriculture (50% of allocated support paid)). The overall financial progress of the RDP (share of allocated support paid to beneficiaries) at the end of 2022 was 75%.

The evaluation analysed the sectoral distribution of the investment support under activities 4.1 - investments in agricultural holdings, 6.1 - business start-up aid for young farmers and 6.3 - business start-up aid for the development of small farms of the Lithuanian RDP 2014-2020. The livestock sector was the sector with the biggest number of investment projects supported (8 893) and the highest share of investment support (receiving 462.9 million or 59.2% of all total investment support), followed by the crop sector and horticulture.

Investment support for processing and marketing of agricultural production (activity 4.2 of the Lithuanian RDP 2017-2020) was most popular for crop production processing, followed by dairy and meat processing.

At the end of 2022, some of the targets set for 2025 had already been achieved and exceeded, while a few were at risk of not being met (e.g. T3 (total number of participants trained under Article 14 of Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013), T10 (percentage of agricultural land under management contracts to improve water management), T16 (total investment in renewable energy production)).