Agriculture & Fisheries

The EU is a significant source of funding for supporting and diversifying traditional sectors such as Agriculture and Fisheries, as well as rural development in general. The funds also seek to improve the communities involved in traditional industries, build capacity in them as well as maintaining and improving environmental quality. European funds in these fields are channelled through national programmes.

Scotland Rural Development Programme
European Fisheries Fund

Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP)

The Scotland Rural Development Programme is a £1.6 billion programme of economic, environmental and social measures designed to develop rural Scotland from 2007-2013. The fund is financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EARFD), voluntary modulation from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the Scottish Government. The SRDP is based around three key themes set by the European Union:

• Axis 1 - Improving the competitiveness of the agricultural and forestry sector
• Axis 2 - Improving the environment and the countryside
• Axis 3 - Improving the quality of life in rural areas and diversification of the rural economy
  There is also a fourth Axis that uses the LEADER approach to deliver a locally-driven approach to innovation and development administered by local partnerships.

For further information on the EAFRD, SRDP and LEADER please see:

The EAFRD webpage
The Aberdeenshire Council SRDP page
The Aberdeenshire Council LEADER page
The Scottish Government SRDP Page

European Fisheries Fund (EFF)

The European Fisheries Fund (EFF) replaced the Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG) on 1 January 2007 and is designed to secure a sustainable European fishing and aquaculture industry. The fund aims to support the industry as it adapts its fleet to make it more competitive and to promote measures to protect and enhance the environment. The EFF is also designed to help the fishing communities most affected by the resulting changes to diversify their economic base.

The EFF will run for seven years, with a total budget of around € 3.8 billion, some £38.83 million of which has been secured for Scotland. Funding will be available for all sectors of the industry – sea and inland fisheries, aquaculture businesses, producer organisations, and the processing and marketing sectors - as well as for fisheries-dependent communities.

For further information on the EFF, please visit:

The EU EFF page
The Aberdeenshire Council Fisheries page
The Scottish Government EFF page