European Commission presents first-ever strategy on intergenerational fairness
- Rural Pact
- Rural Revitalisation Platform
- Stronger Rural Areas
- Resilient rural areas
- Youth
- Social inclusion
The European Commission has adopted its first strategy on intergenerational fairness which seeks to ensure that current decisions fairly distribute benefits and burdens across generations. The strategy addresses how territorial disparities and unequal access to opportunities affect rural residents.
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The strategy sets out a range of actions and provides a common direction for existing EU initiatives that support intergenerational fairness. It presents the concept of an ‘intergenerational contract’ built on fair policymaking, opportunities and places.
The strategy acknowledges that geographic location strongly impacts intergenerational fairness. A person’s place of residence shapes their access to education, culture, employment, housing, services, connectivity, mobility and opportunities for democratic participation.
Territorial divides, prominent in rural and remote areas, can exacerbate inequalities and increase brain drain and the number of young people not in education, employment or training.
To tackle these issues, a territorial perspective on intergenerational fairness is needed. Targeted, place-based policies that consider local conditions and invest in long-term capacities, developed with local and regional authorities, are essential to strengthen opportunities for younger generations, support healthy and active ageing, and foster intergenerational connections.
Facilitating generational renewal is key for ensuring equity across different age groups and achieve intergenerational fairness. If young people cannot access land, jobs, housing, or are not involved in having their say in policy design, then the system creates disparities between different generations. At the local and regional level, the EU advances generational renewal through cohesion policy, the common agricultural policy and a dedicated strategy. These aim to ensure the right to stay and strengthen community-level resilience through territorial investment, inclusive urban, coastal and rural development, and improved access to services.
Explore the latest Rural Pact resources on youth and join the dedicated Community Group.