News | 24 Jan 2024

A five-point plan for Europe’s heartlands

A recent publication by the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies outlines a five-point plan to place local communities at the heart of EU policies, calling for bottom-up rural development.

The plan’s proposed approach takes account of local, rural communities’ needs, history and characteristics to recommend:

  1. Turning the Green Deal into a positive partnership for farmers;
  2. Equal connectivity and skills to those of urban residents;
  3. Improved access to essential services;
  4. Youth and quality of life as key drivers of lasting growth;
  5. Meeting the day-to-day needs of its rural residents.
Five-point plan to place local communities at the heart of EU policies