La biomasse, activité alternative au développement des zones rurales

b) Altener II, Leader +

The program ALTENER II^34(*), which will be integrated soon into the outline programme in the field of energy, is the principal instrument of supports and monitoring of the Community strategy as regards renewable sources of energy and, consequently, of the countryside for the takeoff of the renewable sources of energy. Measurements of supports campaign within the framework of program ALTENER consist of a financing of actions of promotions. The proposals received within the framework of the call to projects 1998/1999 will lead to one supports Community of more than 200 projects, numbers of them being directly related to the countryside. The funds of program ALTENER II made it possible to create and finance « AGORES », a virtual center of information primarily composed of a data base. It is the response of the Commission to the opinion expressed by the European Parliament in connection with the creation of a single information center on the renewable sources of energy.

The new Community initiative of rural development is Leader+. The European Commission adopted, April 14, 2000, a Communication with the Member States fixing the orientations for the new Community initiative relating to the rural development, Leader+, one of the four Community Initiatives within the framework of the structural Funds over the period 2000-2006. The four Initiatives will profit on the whole from 5,35% of the appropriations of the structural Funds over the period 2000-2006. The amount

total of the contribution of the European Union (EU) for Leader+ over the period 2000-2006 of 2,020 billion euros, will be financed by the EAGGF-Orientation.

Name «Leader+» insists on the fact that it is not a question of a simple continuation of Leader II but of a more ambitious Initiative which aims to encourage and support the realization of original strategies of high quality for the integrated rural development. It also exploits the co-operation and the establishment of networks between rural zones. All the rural zones inside the EU will be eligible under Leader+.

* ³⁴ Council Decision concerning a multiannual program for the promotion of the renewable sources of energy in the Community (ALTENER II) (98/352/EC) Official Journal L159/53 of the 03.06.98