Flanders (Belgium) launches a Rural Pact for more resilient, sustainable, and connected countryside
- Rural Pact
- Rural Revitalisation Platform
- Stronger Rural Areas
- Connected rural areas
- Resilient rural areas
- Prosperous rural areas
The development of a Flemish Rural Pact – an ambitious partnership among government, provinces, local authorities, civil society organisations and rural communities – was launched on 27 March 2025 by the Flemish Minister of Rural Policy, Hilde Crevits.
© European Union, 2025
The Flemish Rural Pact is structured around five themes: a multifunctional open space, attractive living environment, welcoming rural community, economic activity and innovation, and strong local governance.
The development of the Rural Pact will take place in several phases:
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Definition of scope and themes, and active stakeholder involvement (Feb-Mar 2025);
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Development of a forward-looking and broadly supported vision (Apr-Jun 2025);
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Translation of the vision into concrete actions and policy measures – strategic framework aligning social, economic, and ecological ambitions (Sep-Dec 2025);
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Declaration of commitment – formulation of the Pact as a coherent, transversal guideline for future rural policy – and start of implementation (Jan-Mar 2026).
The process will lead to a concrete action plan in spring 2026.
The launch event was organised by the Flemish Land Agency whose recent report ‘The Flemish countryside in figures’ highlights key trends to inform the process.
Alexia Rouby of the European Commission’s DG AGRI presented the European context in which the Rural Pact was launched in June 2021.
“With the Rural Pact, we want to map needs and give rural dwellers what they are entitled to. Like Europe, we also want to see if we can introduce a rural test. This is a rural policy reflex that is not intended to create additional administrative burdens, but to ensure that policy takes into account the specific challenges of rural areas”.
Vice Minister-President of the Flemish Government and
Minister for Home affairs, Urban and Rural Policy, Hilde Crevits