Coordination Group advances Declaration on the Future of EU rural development policy
- Rural Pact
- Rural Revitalisation Platform
- Stronger Rural Areas
- Prosperous rural areas
- Resilient rural areas
- Connected rural areas
The fourth meeting of the Rural Pact Coordination Group (RPCG) of 8 November 2024 discussed the finalisation and adoption of the forthcoming RPCG Declaration expected for publication in early 2025.
Image by Edina Ocsko, RPCG
The document will outline strategic proposals for the post-2027 EU rural development policy, directly addressing the open questions set out in the European Commission’s report on the EU rural vision of March 2024. It will call for a unified, cross-sectoral rural development framework that prioritises a community-led and place-based approach to policymaking, urging for guaranteed budget allocations for rural development.
RPCG members are expected to adopt the Declaration in December 2024, a timely endorsement to help shape future policy developments, and start promotion in early 2025.
The RPCG meeting featured interventions by the European Commission’s DG AGRI and REGIO on the latest policy developments relevant to rural areas in the new political context. It further discussed members’ positions and latest activities, such as:
- The final report of the Strategic Dialogue on the future of EU agriculture, highlighting the importance of the EU’s rural vision as a guiding framework for future agricultural policies and the role of the Rural Pact model and rural proofing;
- A Joint Position Paper by several German members of the Committee of the Regions calling for strengthened rural development objectives through a dedicated fund and enhanced territorial dimension of EU Structural Funds;
- An opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘greater involvement of Member States, regions and civil society actors in the implementation of the long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas’;
- European Rural Community Alliance (ERCA) initiatives to strengthen local participation in the Rural Pact, including a ‘Compass for local empowerment’ and various events.
Additionally, the meeting sought to involve RPCG members in the organisation of the forthcoming Rural Pact Conference (8-9 April 2025, Belgium) by collecting ideas for and expressions of interest in preparing policy and networking sessions.