Although the experience of the EU fund programmes suggests that the assimilation of support in the agricultural sector is the most successful, the problem is that little is discussed about the drawbacks of support assimilation, deficient administration system and the burden of responsibility and obligations on support receivers. Therefore, the thesis presents both positive and negative aspects of participation in the EU programmes, suggestions to solve problems, the main of which are: formation of a delayed legal basis, administration gaps, shortage of competent project evaluators, absence of a unified evaluation system and the most relevant for farmers – long process of support administration during which inflation conditions the increase of resource prices, thus the projects prepared by farmers, investments foreseen and calculations presented lose meaning. The lack of resources emerges and financial losses are sustained and the use of the EU support decreases, negative responses about the participation in the EU fund programmes increase.

Final Thesis Object – use of the EU investment support in farmers’ activities, preparation of an appropriate project to achieve the EU investment support.

Objective of Final Thesis – presentation of the use of the EU investment support in farmers’ activities, defining support influence on their activities, finding out problems and revealing peculiarities of a project under preparation.

The tasks raised to achieve the objective of this final thesis: analysis of farmers’ possibilities to use the EU investment support; analysis of the support administration system and processes; definition of the main requirements in order to achieve investment support; making analysis of the results of the EU investment support assimilation in the agricultural sector; analysis of the influence the EU investment support makes on farmers’ activities; preparation of an exemplary project for a farmer according to RDP 2007 – 2013 measure “Setting Up of Young Farmers”.

Hypothesis of Analysis. The EU investment support strengthens Lithuanian agriculture and the competitiveness of the agricultural sector as well; however, the negative aspects of support assimilation reduce the benefit of the EU investment support.

Methods of Analysis: data analysis method; comparative analysis; analysis of statistical data; investigation – project preparation methodology.

The first part of the thesis is intended to get acquaintance with the possibilities given by the EU support, particularity of project preparation and evaluation. The second part is intended to reveal the influence of the support on farmers’ activities, indicate the drawbacks of EU programme implementation, and spotlight the problems of support administration. The third part is about an exemplary project preparation, submission of proposals and establishment of the EU support influence on a farmer’s farm.

Raktažodžiai: Support of SAPARD, support of BPD, suppord of KPP 2007-2013 year