RPCG position paper outlines recommendations for rural areas in the future EU policy framework

By Edina Ocsko (former RPCG Vice Chair) and Radim Srsen (former RPCG Chair)

The Rural Pact Coordination Group (RPCG) gathered on 5 May 2026 for its final meeting which marked the conclusion of the RPCG's three-year mandate. Following the end of the mandate, the Rural Pact currently operates without a formal governance body while reflections on future stakeholder engagement continue. 

Established as the steering group of the Rural Pact under the long-term vision for rural areas, the RPCG brought together representatives of EU institutions and European stakeholder organisations to exchange perspectives and contribute to discussions on the future of rural areas and communities across Europe. 

Over the past three years, the Group has served as a platform for dialogue, cooperation and joint reflection on key rural challenges and opportunities, including integrated rural development and the ‘right to stay’ in rural areas. 

In the context of ongoing discussions on the post-2027 EU policy framework, RPCG members used this final meeting to present a position paper outlining recommendations for strengthening future support for rural areas and communities. 

The RPCG position paper for a better future rural development policy 

One of the central missions of the Rural Pact is to amplify the voice of rural areas and raise their profile on the political agenda. In this context, the RPCG position paper represents a collective contribution from RPCG members to ongoing discussions on the future EU policy and financial framework, outlining recommendations aimed at strengthening support for rural areas and communities across Europe. 

The aim of the paper is to define a critical and constructive position on the post-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) Regulation proposed by the European Commission. 

The position paper follows one year after the adoption of the RPCG Declaration in December 2024, which underscored the critical importance of targeted policy intervention, innovation and adequate resourcing to address depopulation, economic decline and the green and digital transitions in rural regions. The paper assesses the extent to which those commitments are being reflected in the emerging framework for the post-2027 MFF.  

Additionally, it reflects on political developments and puts forward concrete and practical proposals on how to better integrate the provisions of the Declaration into the future EU regulatory framework. The position paper is accompanied by specific tracked-change suggestions to the proposed MFF Regulation, targeting concrete articles and recitals (see also the footnotes in the position paper). These proposed amendments have been circulated internally to RPCG members as part of the ongoing discussions on the future framework. 

How to ensure that rural needs are better reflected in the future MFF Regulation? 

The RPCG position paper makes specific recommendations in six core areas: 

1. Recognition of the potential of an integrated single-fund approach – with conditions. The RPCG broadly welcomes the effort to introduce a single-fund, integrated approach in the post-2027 MFF, recognising its potential to ensure that rural areas benefit coherently from multiple funding sources. At the same time, the Group underlines, that this can only be effective if combined with appropriate safeguards that ensure that rural areas and communities receive adequate minimum funding. Greater flexibility for Member States must not translate into excessive centralisation at the national level. 

2. Dedicated and visible rural support beyond agriculture is essential. Nearly 90% of residents even in predominantly rural regions work outside agriculture. Rural development policy must therefore go beyond farm support and address the broader social, economic and territorial realities of rural life. EU policies for the development of rural areas should be better integrated with cohesion policy. Supporting funds must also guarantee the ‘right to stay’ for all rural residents – farmers and non-farmers alike – by ensuring effective, clearly differentiated, non-agricultural support, including access to quality services (education, health, housing, mobility), connectivity, renewable energy, local entrepreneurship, culture, territorial competitiveness and beyond. 

3. A proportionate and fair share of EU funds for rural citizens. Some 30% of Europeans live in rural areas, often facing structural disadvantages. The RPCG calls for a share of EU funds – beyond agricultural support – that is as a minimum proportionate to the share of rural residents. This is achievable under the proposed integrated approach, provided that improved local territorial tagging mechanisms are applied. Rural development support should also be clearly integrated within the EU’s cohesion policy framework and in the future Regulation establishing the European Fund for Regional Development. 

4. Mandatory allocation to community-led, place-based approaches. The RPCG calls for earmarked funding within the National and Regional Partnership Plans (NRPPs) for LEADER/CLLD and for rural communities pursuing locally led, integrated strategies such as Smart Villages. Proposals developed by RPCG member organisations – particularly ELARD and the Smart Village Network Services – have been endorsed by the Group and should be incorporated into the new MFF Regulation. 

5. Strengthened rural proofing and partnership principle. The future MFF legislative framework must explicitly recognise and systematically engage a broad range of rural actors – including LEADER Local Action Groups, rural community representatives and civil society – through multi-level governance arrangements and the Rural Pact model. Rural proofing must be embedded throughout the NRPP process, including in the ongoing MFF negotiations. Rural youth should be represented across these structures as far as possible, with youth-check mechanisms introduced. 

6. A functional definition of rural areas and a robust monitoring system. The current NUTS3-level categorisation conceals significant intra-regional disparities, and approximately 79% of cohesion funding has lacked any territorial tagging. The RPCG calls for clearer minimum requirements for defining ‘rural areas’, ‘rural communities’ and ‘rural development support’ at the local level, building on the existing DEGURBA classification of local administrative units. A dedicated stakeholder working group should be established to contribute to the future operationalisation of the concept of ‘rural’ within the MFF framework. 

The role of rural voices in future policy discussions  

As discussions on the future EU policy and financial framework continue, the RPCG position paper underlines the importance of ensuring that rural perspectives are effectively reflected in future policies and governance arrangements. In particular, RPCG members stress the need for appropriate safeguards, multi-level governance and meaningful stakeholder involvement to help ensure that rural areas and communities can fully contribute to the design and implementation of future policies. 

Over the past three years, the RPCG has provided a space for dialogue and exchange between EU institutions and rural stakeholder organisations, helping strengthen cooperation and bring diverse rural perspectives into policy discussions. During the Group’s final meeting, members urged the European Commission to create a space that connects rural stakeholder representatives with EU institutions to facilitate direct exchanges and collaboration on rural issues, particularly in the context of the ongoing post-2027 debates and the delivery of the EU’s rural vision. 

The European Commission thanked the RPCG for their valuable time over the past three years and remained committed to continue the dialogue with rural stakeholders at both EU and national levels. Further consideration is being given to the dialogue and engagement with rural stakeholders in the post-2027 framework. 

RPCG members also reaffirmed their commitment to continuing discussions and contributing their perspectives to future reflections on rural development policy and the implementation of the long-term vision for rural areas.