Mountain Convention sets out priorities for prosperous mountainous and rural regions
- Rural Pact
- Rural Revitalisation Platform
- Stronger Rural Areas
- Prosperous rural areas
- Resilient rural areas
- Connected rural areas
Policy approaches and local initiatives to address depopulation, housing, territorial cohesion, innovation and entrepreneurship across Europe’s rural and mountainous areas were in the spotlight of the recent European Mountain Convention. These are among the priority topics of the EU’s rural vision.
The Convention (15-18 October – Puigcerdà, Spain), organised by Euromontana within the context of the Rural Pact, will culminate in a Declaration expected in November 2024. This will contribute to the European Commission’s ongoing efforts to shape the future rural policy framework through the questions put forward in its report ‘The long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas: key achievements and ways forward’.
The event showcased inspiring initiatives, including:
- The ‘Spain in 30 minutes’ Strategy proposed by the Ministry of demographic transition will ensure that no citizen is more than 30 minutes away from essential services.
- The Catalan Mountain Law, expected in 2025, will set out a comprehensive strategy to address housing, sports, economic development, territorial cohesion, and gender equality in mountainous regions.
- The Czech Integrated Territorial Investment (ITI) in Brno successfully promoted urban-rural cooperation, a key aspect for delivering on the EU’s rural vision.
Event discussions highlighted the importance of mobilising various EU funding sources and encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship to ensure rural and mountainous regions retain and attract residents, and create enabling environments for local communities to take action.