The ex-ante evaluation, that has walked along with the preparation of the Rural Development Programme for Mainland Finland for the 2014–2020 programming period for over one and a half year, is now finished. The evaluators are happy to notice that the ex-ante evaluation has been fully exploited. Rural development will be based on traditional measures, but it will also tackle upcoming challenges with new, innovative means. The significance of the programme in regional development will grow further and play an essential role in renewing the agriculture and rural areas when approaching the 2020s. The ex-ante evaluation was carried out by MDI in co-operation with MTT Agrifood Research Finland, Nordregio, and University of Eastern Finland.
The ex-ante evaluation (report in Finnish, executive summary in English) is published here: