Bringing the Rural Pact closer to citizens requires enhanced coordination and local capacity building
- Rural Pact
- Rural Revitalisation Platform
- Stronger Rural Areas
- Connected rural areas
- Resilient rural areas
- Prosperous rural areas
The latest Policy Action Lab organised by the Rural Pact Support Office developed proposals to enhance the achievement of the Rural Vision and Pact objectives at the local level. Event participants worked together to identify the key ingredients for a successful implementation of the Rural Pact at the local level and approaches to make it happen.
Discussions throughout the event highlighted the need for enhanced coordination of various sectorial policies and cooperation between the local level and higher levels of governance.
Participants agreed that new structures are not necessary to undertake action addressing local needs and opportunities. Instead, re-imagining and strengthening existing networks and structures, such as Local Action Groups (LAGs), Smart Villages, or other similar initiatives is necessary.
Human and financial resources for local capacity building on communication, identification of relevant funding opportunities and the range of Rural Pact policy fields were identified as key to reinforcing local structures. Peer learning, training, networking among local communities and dissemination of good practices are also very important.
In many rural areas, ‘local heroes’ – individuals who mobilise others around necessary actions to realise the Rural Pact locally – play a key role. Discussions also highlighted the need for ‘rural mediators’, individuals or organisations who drive the whole Rural Pact process, map and activate dormant resources and build community capacities.
Proposals and recommendations developed during the event contributed to the open questions raised in the European Commission’s report on the rural vision’s key achievements and the ways forward, published on 27 March 2024, in particular the first two on how to best address the needs of diverse rural communities on the ground. Future policy action labs of the Rural Pact will delve into the other questions in autumn 2024.
Explore the event presentations, video recording and the policy briefing ‘Making the Rural Pact happen in Member States’ (available in 24 EU languages) used as a basis for reflection. A highlights report will be made available in the coming weeks and a dedicated policy briefing on the topic will be published in September 2024.