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What makes people choose to stay in a place – or leave it? As the European Commission develops its new ‘right to stay’ strategy, experiences from rural stakeholders shared through the Rural Pact offer practical insights into the factors that help rural areas remain attractive, resilient and vibrant places to live, work and build a future.

In France, 22 million people – one third of the population – live in rural areas and almost 90% of the country’s municipalities are rural. The action plan France Ruralités aims to enhance the appeal of the country’s rural areas and ensure true equality of opportunity for all French citizens.

The Rural Pact Community Groups are entering a new phase of development. Building on the experience gained since their launch in 2023, the Rural Pact Support Office (RPSO) is strengthening support to these online discussion fora to help them become even more active spaces for networking, knowledge exchange and collaboration across rural Europe.

Explore the resources from the Rural Pact Good Practice Webinar on generational renewal in rural businesses of 10 June 2026, outlining practical approaches supporting business creation, development and transfer in rural economies beyond agriculture.

Members of the Walloon CAP Network’s permanent commission came together in Marche-en-Famenne, Belgium, on 29 May 2026 to consider quality of life in the region’s rural areas and how best to promote it.