Summary:

The article presents the objectives and scope of the directive enabling sup-port for rural development in the programming period of 2007-2013 by the Euro-pean Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). The objectives were set based on an analysis of the extensive initial motives of the act, as well as its nor-mative part. The normative objectives indicate the thematic priorities of the Regu-lation such as:
- improving the competitiveness of agriculture and forestry by supporting restructuring, development and innovation,
- improving the environment and the countryside by supporting land man-agement,
- Improving the quality of life in rural areas and encouraging the diversifi-cation of economic activity.
The article pays special attention to the structure and the legal nature of the Community Strategic Guidelines meant to assist in identifying the areas where the use of EU support will provide the greatest added value, in translating economic, social and environmental priorities into the policy of development of rural areas, as well as in ensuring the cohesion of this policy with other policies and implementing the new agricultural policy.
The guidelines specify the priorities for construction state strategic plans and rural development programmes. They include key non-binding activities, described one by one and assigned to each guideline for illustrative purposes. They are meant to help in identifying the areas where using EU support would create the largest added value.
The closing remarks of the article include a preliminary assessment of the suitability of the guidelines for the construction of national planning acts.