'Millions' lost in Welsh rural aid

The countryside is losing out on additional funding

Wales has lost millions of pounds of European money targeted for rural and environmental schemes, it has been claimed.

A university professor estimates that £280m of "missing" funding could be lost to Wales over seven years.

Leading academic Gareth Wyn Jones from the University of Wales College, Bangor, has spent two years collating figures to back up his claims.

He said that agri-environment schemes like Tir Gofal - which is managed by the Countryside Council for Wales - attract 50% match funding from Europe.

That figure rises to 75% in Objective One areas, which covers a large part of west Wales and the south Wales Valleys.

Using an example of a hypothetical regeneration package of £20m, Professor Jones explained that £12m could currently be claimed back from European funds and the Treasury then has to spend only £8m on the scheme.

'Absolutely crucial'

But under co-funding arrangements between the government and Europe, Professor Jones has argued that the £12m of European aid should be added to the original package, making the sum total of £32m.

So far, no one has disagreed with his claims.

"I shudder to think what will happen if we do not adopt this policy...it is absolutely crucial," he told BBC Wales.

Friday's conference - organised by the Wales Rural Forum - will be a launching pad for a campaign to claw back some money.

At stake are millions of pounds of aid for rural Wales and an attempt to bring about a fundamental change in government policy.