Regio Randstad

In the heavily-densed urban metropolitan area as the Randstad, still 74% of the area has an agricultural function. The green landscape has an important function, not only in the food supply, but also for recreation- and the maintenance of the landscape. This year, the further development of the area appears high on the European agenda. The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) forms the most important European framework regarding the urban areas in Europe. In 2008-2009, the European Commission will, in the framework of the Health Check, report to the European Council on the future of this policy.

Objective of the four Randstad provinces is to combine the Common Agricultural Policy with a vision on the new functions of the urban area. Traditional forms of agricultural use slowly disappear. At the same time, the areas fulfil a new function in serving the needs for people who live in cities, such as recreation, biological agriculture and so on . In the revision of the European Agricultural Policy, one has to take account of these developments.

Therefore, intensively is worked together in a European perspective. Since 2004, a European network of regions paying attention to rural areas in metropolitan areas. The name of the network is the Peri Urban Regions Platform Europe (PURPLE). More information of the PUPRLE network can be found on http://www.purple-eu.org. From the beginning of the existence of the network, Ms Dwarshuis- van de Beek, deputy of the province of Zuid-Holland is on behalf of the Randstad president of the network. May 2008, her presidential period has been prolonged for another two year.