How to foster the implementation of the Long-Term Vision for EU's Rural Areas?

Scope and objectives

On Friday 15th December 2023, the EESC hosted a public hearing to gather the views of the European Commission, rural development actors and various stakeholders on how to foster the implementation of the Long-Term Vision of EU's Rural Areas. 

In the course of the event, we discussed: 

• The state of play after 2 years of implementation of the Long-term vision 
• The contribution of the CAP and Cohesion Policy to the vision 
• Challenges, opportunities, and enhanced funding access for civil society organisations, enterprises and social economy in rural areas
• Governance and stakeholders involvement in decision-making processes in rural areas

Through the sessions, the hearing aimed to collect views on the concrete measures required to ensure the successful implementation of the long-term vision, emphasizing the role of financing and effective governance in shaping a sustainable rural/urban development.

The debate feeds into the preparation of the own-initiative opinion Towards a European Rural Agenda. This opinion will seek to identify and understand the comprehensive dynamics of rural areas, extending beyond agriculture to include SMEs, microenterprises, services, and tourism. The opinion will also address the issues of funding and optimization and streamlining of budget allocation.

This event was webstreamed in 3 languages EN, FR and ES. We invite you to watch the event recording!