Rural youth joining forces for a better future
How do young people see the future of their villages and mountain communities? That’s the question behind the Erasmus+ ECO project which brought together teenagers from France’s Hautes-Pyrénées and Spain’s Sobrarbe regions to explore what connects them – and what challenges they share.
© European Union, 2025
After meeting during summer camps in the French Pyrenees and Spanish Sobrarbe, the group travelled to Brussels on 2 October to visit the European institutions and the Rural Pact Support Office (RPSO). Following a round of presentations from the European Commission’s DG AGRI and the RPSO, the 28 secondary school students exchanged on what it is like for a youngster to live in a rural area and reasons to stay or move.
A short manifesto (available in French and Spanish) reflects their ideas and experiences, calling for more attention to rural youth and the places they call home.
Through workshops and field visits, the young participants in the ECO project discovered that despite living in different countries, they face similar issues, ranging from limited transport and jobs to poor internet access and a lack of services. But they also share a strong sense of belonging, pride in their landscapes, and motivation to protect nature and build thriving local communities.
The project encouraged them to look beyond their own territories and imagine joint solutions, from cleaner mountain environments to fairer energy use and stronger local participation. Above all, it showed that when rural youth connect across borders, they gain confidence to speak up and shape the future of their regions together.
Discover the latest Rural Pact resources on the topic of rural youth and join the dedicated Community Group to connect and exchange with peers.