Dutch Rural Pact enters next phase – what’s in store for 2026
The Rural Pact network in the Netherlands was born in 2024, bringing together rural development stakeholders from politics, academia and civil society. Two years on, the network is moving into its next phase of development, with plans to develop a common vision on the future of rural areas and a series of policy recommendations.
© Bart Soldaat, 2026
On 11 March 2026, the mayor of Hof van Twente municipality Ellen Nauta-van Moorsel and René Goverde, a member of the Management Team for Rural Area Transition at the Netherlands’ Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature, symbolically gave the go-ahead for implementation of the Dutch Rural Pact’s 2026 work plan by planting some seeds.
The ministry is supporting implementation of the work plan with a financial contribution, while Hof van Twente municipality acts as legal representative on behalf of the Rural Pact Netherlands.
Through its financial contribution, the ministry has fulfilled one of its promises to contribute to the Rural Pact, which then-Minister Femke Wiersma signed on 11 December 2025 in the presence of European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Christophe Hansen.
To further fulfil its commitment, the ministry has identified three other priority areas:
- Improving national policy for rural areas;
- Implementation of a comprehensive Rural Review in cooperation with the OECD and the European Commission’s SG REFORM;
- Addressing the socio-economic impact of agricultural reforms and improving nature restoration.
How it all started and where we are now
The 11 March meeting, attended by over 30 members, marks the next phase in the development of the Dutch Rural Pact, which began two years ago.
At the beginning of 2024 Ben van Essen, a member of the Rural Pact Coordination Group representing the European Rural Community Alliance, and Bart Soldaat, secretary of the Dutch LEADER Network, met to discuss the idea of bringing together all the Dutch members of the Rural Pact community. This collaboration led to a first meeting online in June 2024, followed by three more in-person meetings over the course of the next year and a half.
The meetings led to several concrete results:
- Expansion of the network to over 100 members;
- A general idea of what the network is about and its guiding principles;
- Establishment of a core group that acts like an informal board;
- A first draft of a manifesto, following the Declaration that was developed by the Rural Pact Coordination Group;
- Exchange of learnings and best practices and promotion of the long-term vision for rural areas and the Rural Pact;
- Development of a country page on the Rural Pact Community Platform with inspiring examples, initiatives and actions that help to advance the Rural Pact in the Netherlands.
These activities were more or less of an ad hoc nature. To establish a more sustainable foundation for future activities, the core group initiated the development of a work programme, which was adopted by members at the meeting on 11 March.
All participants underlined their commitment to the Rural Pact and implementation of the work programme by writing their names on plant labels and putting these in a plant pot. So, now the groundwork has been done.
What 2026 has in store
Implementation of the work programme will take place in the context of a new cabinet and a new Minister for Agriculture in the Netherlands as well as the ongoing dialogue on the new common agricultural policy as part of the country’s National and Regional Partnership Plan.
The Dutch Rural Pact wants to contribute to the debate in a constructive way by organising, among others, a series of meetings and events. The first one will take place on 10 June on the topic of rural proofing, following last year’s decision of the Dutch Parliament to develop a rural policy assessment tool.
During the summer we will organise a series of ‘walking dialogues’ on current rural policy topics followed by two other meetings in September and November. The outcome of the meetings will be a common vision on the future of rural areas and a series of policy recommendations which will be presented to national, regional and local authorities and relevant stakeholders at the end of the year.
Find out more about the Netherlands’ political commitment to the Rural Pact.
Author: Bart Soldaat, secretary of the Dutch LEADER Network