How to foster the implementation of the long-term vision for EU’s rural areas?
- Rural Pact
- Stronger Rural Areas
- LEADER/CLLD
- Governance
- Connected rural areas
- Resilient rural areas
- Prosperous rural areas
A recent public hearing at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) emphasised the role of enhanced access to financing and effective governance in shaping a sustainable rural development.
The hearing sought to collect the views of the European Commission, rural development actors and various stakeholders, which will feed into the preparation of an upcoming EESC opinion ‘Towards a European Rural Agenda’.
A discussion on the state-of-play after two years of implementation of the long-term vision highlighted issues ranging from implementation of the Rural Pact at national level, to rural proofing, to territorial strategies and partnerships. Participants put forward concrete measures necessary for effective implementation.
Enhancing access to financing for civil society organisations and enterprises in rural areas would benefit from further simplification of EU funds and the application of proven methods such as LEADER/CLLD. Funding should also support climate-resilient development and sustainable tourism to achieve the social, environmental and economic outcomes that are beneficial for rural areas.
Additionally, the debate highlighted the upcoming Rural Toolkit on EU Funds – to be formally launched on 6 February 2024 – as the main one-stop shop for enhancing access to financing for rural areas.
Scaling up rural development governance and actively involving rural stakeholders in decision-making processes would require valorising and reinforcing existing tools, such as Community-Led Local Development (CLLD), as well as developing and implementing rural proofing at all levels. Communicating the added value of innovative frameworks, such as the Rural Pact, would contribute to its adoption by rural stakeholders across the board.
