The present Decision sets out the strategic guidelines to be applied within the European Community to promote rural development. The guidelines shall help to: (a) identify and agree the areas where the use of European Community support for rural development creates the most value added at European Community level; (b) make the link with the main European Community priorities and translate them into rural development policy; (c) ensure consistency with other European Community policies, in particular in the fields of cohesion and environment. The rural development policy shall focus on agricultural food economy and environmental protection.