ABSTRACT
This chapter presents methods for assessing agricultural and non-agricultural EU rural development policy tools. In the case of non-agricultural tools, emphasis is placed on the socio-economic dimension of territorial cohesion. In the case of agricultural tools, the focus will be on the most comprehensive financial measures, especially their environmental dimensions. These are agri-environmental measures of rural development policy that focus on ecosystem services and public goods. Examples include environmental assessment methods. If some rural development policy tools cannot be assessed sufficiently adequately through socio-economic indicators, alternative methods need to be employed, including by evaluating public goods and ecosystem services. The summary and synthesis of evaluation methods provide a broad basis for continuing the expert discussion on future forms of rural development policy, specifically in light of the dilemma of distinguishing policy objectives which can be narrowly focused on multifunctional farming only (agricultural land) or more broadly – on rural development (rural landscape/area).
