The Promotion of Entrepreneurship Under the New Rural Development Policy: An Empirical Study in Catalonia
Revista de Estudios Regionales, No. 87, pp. 139-156, 2010
Posted: 11 May 2011
Date Written: December 1, 2010
Abstract
The importance of entrepreneurship for rural development has been emphasised within Europe’s new Common Agrarian Policy for the period 2007-2013. However, the measures contained within the Rural Development Plan (PDR) of Catalonia for that same period have maintained the traditional, agrarian focus. In the paper we report the results of an analysis into the effectiveness of the entrepreneurship support measures coming from the PDR as compared to assistance that is external to the development plan. According to a sample of new entrepreneurs from rural areas of Catalonia, the support coming from the PDR shows little effectiveness.
La importancia del fomento empresarial para el desarrollo rural ha quedado evidenciada en las directrices establecidas en la política rural europea. A pesar de ello, las medidas contenidas en el Plan de Desarrollo Rural (PDR) de Cataluña 2007-2013, siguen adoptando un enfoque sectorial favoreciendo especialmente a las actividades agrarias. En este trabajo, se analiza la efectividad de dichas medidas en comparación con la de los apoyos a la creación de empresas que existen en Cataluña al margen de dicho Plan. Las opiniones de una muestra de empresarios rurales ponen de manifiesto la escasa efectividad de las medidas integradas en el PDR catalán.
Keywords: Rural development, Entrepreneurship, Business support
JEL Classification: R0, R5
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation