Commitment to the EU Rural Pact – Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

As part of this growing community, the Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has formalised its engagement by submitting a national political commitment to the Pact. This commitment aligns Finland with the shared goals of the EU rural vision.

Committed actions

In its signed commitment, the Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry pledges to advance rural development through ten concrete lines of action:

  • Reinforcing plans to enable continued diverse interventions for rural development in the future National and Regional Partnership Plans. 

  • Implementing the upcoming Government’s Rural Policy Report to strengthen cross-administrative cooperation for comprehensive rural development at national level. 

  • Hearing the voice of rural areas through multi-level and place-based governance, using collaborative and participatory approaches and integrated strategies, including appointing the third Rural Policy Council (MANE) for 2026-2031 to support cross-administrative coordination; implement and monitor the Rural Policy Report and Rural Policy Programmes; conduct rural impact assessments; address rural policy information needs; and strengthen the rural policy planning system, including its role in the EU’s next programming period. 

  • Enhancing effective rural proofing in all administrative and decision-making procedures. 

  • Implementing place-based rural development by turning rural areas into places of opportunity and providing local solutions to global challenges. 

  • Promoting rural livelihoods, including digitalisation, access to digital innovation, digital skills and secure broadband connections in rural areas. 

  • Recognising rural areas as places of diversity, fostering well-being, livelihoods, fairness, prosperity and quality of life. 

  • Strengthening the sense of community, participation, security, inter-generational solidarity, fairness, renewal and local development. 

  • Reinforcing the role of rural areas in food security, economic opportunities and provision of goods and services. 

  • Promoting sustainable management of natural resources, including phasing out fossil fuels.

Read the formally signed commitment document.

Finnish political commitment

© European Union, 2026

Commitment signing and acknowledgement

The commitment was signed by Ms Sari Essayah, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland, on 30 March 2026, in parallel to the Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AGRI-FISH) meeting in Brussels, Belgium.

Public authorities’ commitments to the Rural Pact

Commitments by public authorities are voluntary actions intended to implement some of the elements identified as key to achieve the objectives of the Rural Pact at national and regional levels, such as strengthened governance, funding coordination, rural proofing and stakeholder engagement. 

They help ensure that the ten shared goals of the EU rural vision guide policies across all levels of government.

All public authorities’ commitments to the Rural Pact Submission process for public authorities   More Rural Pact actions in Finland