CAP Network Ireland, in collaboration with the EU CAP Network, proudly organised and hosted a one day ‘Workshop on Engagement of Rural Stakeholders in National and Regional Partnership Plan (NRPP) Development’ on the 8 October 2026 at the Glenview Hotel in County Wicklow.
The stated objectives of the workshop were to:
- Discuss how Managing Authorities (MA) can effectively engage with rural stakeholders to inform the design of their NRPPs, including the CAP elements, following on from lessons learned in the design of the CAP Strategic Plans (CSPs) and other EU funding programmes under previous programming periods.
- Explore the role of National Networks (NN) in engaging rural stakeholders in shaping the next NRPPs.
- Share insights into existing and novel approaches to stakeholder participation and outreach in relation to the planned NRPP preparations in different Member States.
- Consider the effective involvement of rural stakeholders in the governance of NRPPs at the national and regional level, e.g. Monitoring Committees.
Morning Presentations on EU and Member States Perspectives
Daniel Renftle from DG AGRI (European Commission) opened the session and set the scene by providing a wider context for the development of NRPP and stakeholder engagement across the EU.
After this high-level perspective, the focus moved to individual Member States, with three presentations from Sweden, Finland and Italy detailing where their national stakeholder engagement currently stands.
Malin Emmoth from the Swedish Managing Authority, explained that official consultations have already started, with around 300 stakeholders consulted so far with more targeted discussions on specific topics to follow.
Juha-Matti Markkola of the Finnish National Network, explained that their process began approximately one year ago with an online webinar, followed by a study visit to Brussels. A thematic NRPP Workshop for Stakeholders recently took place focusing on agriculture, fisheries and rural development.
Francesca Toffetti represented the Piedmont Managing Authority and highlighted the need for an assessment to inform the design of NRPP consultations, stating that Piedmont region aims to define and prioritise intervention needs for rural development by the end of 2026.
Panel Discussion on Meaningful Stakeholder Engagement
Following this, a panel moderated by Alistair Prior from the EU CAP Network explored how meaningful engagement can strengthen rural stakeholders’ involvement and ownership in policy development by involving the right mix of rural stakeholders at the right time, overcoming barriers to participation, building trust, and turning engagement in policy design into meaningful participation in implementation and governance.
The panel consisted of Radim Sršeň, representing the European Committee of the Regions, Simone Sterly from the Institute for Rural Development Research (IfLS), Luka Bogdan from the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), and James Claffey Project Leader of CAP Network Ireland. The panel discussion explored a need for greater flexibility between funding streams and meaningful engagement with the broadest range of stakeholders possible. James Claffey highlighted the key role of National Networks in mapping the state of play of NRPP consultation across Member States. As lead person of the cluster on NRPP consultation for National Networks, he promised that this point will be taken back to the cluster to continue exchanges and progress on the topic.
Lessons Learned and New Ideas
The panel discussion was followed by an interactive poster session, bringing together different approaches from Managing Authorities and National Networks in eight member states. CAP Network Ireland was ably represented by Leo McGrane who presented on the multi-actor coordination within the Irish AKIS to support on-farm innovation.
In the afternoon session, participants rotated between four thematic stations to exchange experiences and develop ideas around stakeholder mapping and engagement (including how to reach underrepresented groups), building trust and maintaining meaningful participation, coordination and governance to ensure rural needs are reflected across NRPP development and implementation. These four components will hopefully help to build a practical basis for stakeholder engagement that Managing Authorities can draw on as they develop their NRPPs.
All pictures, presentations and outputs from the meeting can be found here.
To learn more about AKIS in Ireland, click here.
Source of Images: EU CAP Network and CAP Network Ireland