{"id":76193,"date":"2021-07-14T03:00:58","date_gmt":"2021-07-14T01:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cde.ual.es\/?p=76193"},"modified":"2021-09-06T14:29:34","modified_gmt":"2021-09-06T12:29:34","slug":"building-the-future-of-rural-areas-together","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cde.ual.es\/en\/building-the-future-of-rural-areas-together\/","title":{"rendered":"Building the future of rural areas together"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A vibrant tapestry of life and landscapes, Europe\u2019s rural areas provide us with our food, homes, jobs, and essential ecosystems services. To ensure that rural areas can continue to play these essential roles, a European Commission communication sets out a long-term vision for the EU\u2019s rural areas up to 2040. It identifies areas of action towards stronger, connected, resilient and prosperous rural areas and communities.<\/p>\n

A Rural Pact will mobilise public authorities, and stakeholders to act on the needs and aspirations of rural residents. The accompanying EU Rural Action Plan will foster territorial cohesion and create new opportunities to attract innovative businesses, provide access to quality jobs, promote new and improved skills, ensure better infrastructure and services, and leverage the role of sustainable agriculture and diversified economic activities.<\/p>\n

A vision for rural areas towards 2040<\/h3>\n

Ursula von der Leyen<\/strong>, President of the European Commission:”Rural areas are the fabric of our society and the heartbeat of our economy. They are a core part of our identity and our economic potential. We will cherish and preserve our rural areas and invest in their future”<\/p>\n

The long-term vision for the EU\u2019s rural areas is a European Commission initiative to develop a common European vision for 2040.<\/p>\n

In shaping this long-term vision, the Commission gathered the views of rural communities and businesses via public consultations and stakeholder-led events. Through this collaborative process, the Commission created a wide-ranging vision and a comprehensive rural action plan to help rural communities and businesses reach their full potential in the coming decades.<\/p>\n

Four complementary areas of action<\/strong> emerged, embodying a long-term vision from, by and for stronger, connected, resilient and prosperous rural areas by 2040<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Stronger rural areas<\/h3>\n

Rural areas should be home to empowered and vibrant local communities. Enabling both women and men to take active part in policy and decision-making processes, involving a broad range of stakeholders and networks as well as all levels of governance, is key to developing tailor-made, place-based and integrated policy solutions and investments.<\/p>\n

Innovative solutions for the\u00a0provisions of services<\/strong>\u00a0should be developed, making the\u00a0most of the possibilities offered by\u00a0digital tools<\/strong>\u00a0and encouraging strongly social innovation.<\/p>\n

Connected rural areas<\/h3>\n

<\/span>\u00a0The further development of rural areas is dependent on them being well connected between each other and to peri-urban and urban areas. This makes them easier to reach while improving access to a wider range of services for local communities.<\/p>\n

Maintaining or improving public transport services<\/strong> and connections, as well as deepening digital infrastructures<\/strong>, are essential to ensure better-connected EU rural areas.<\/p>\n

More resilient rural areas that foster well-being<\/h3>\n

\u00a0<\/span>The preservation of natural resources, the restoration of landscapes, including cultural ones, the greening of farming activities and shortening supply chains will make rural areas more resilient to climate change<\/strong>, natural hazards and economic crises<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

As providers of services that protect ecosystems and solutions for carbon neutrality, rural areas have a key role to play in the sustainable bio- and circular economy.<\/p>\n

Prosperous rural areas<\/h3>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Rural areas can become more prosperous by diversifying economic activities to new sectors with positive effects on employment, and improving the value added of farming and agri-food activities.<\/p>\n

The diversification of economic activities should be based on sustainable local economic strategies including measures that make their environment attractive to companies<\/strong> and extend digital literacy<\/strong>. This will contribute to retaining a fair share of the value generated by agriculture in rural areas.<\/p>\n

The Rural Pact \u2013 strengthened governance for EU rural areas<\/h3>\n

A Rural Pact will be developed with all levels of governance and stakeholders supporting the shared goals of the vision which are proposed in this Communication.<\/p>\n

The Pact will provide a common framework for the engagement and cooperation of a wide range of actors at the EU, national<\/strong>, regional and local level<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

EU Rural Action Plan<\/h3>\n

Testifying to the Commission\u2019s renewed commitment to rural communities and the development of rural areas, this communication proposes a Rural Action Plan articulated around flagship initiatives.<\/p>\n

Each one of them will bring different EU policy areas together to deliver on the vision, and its shared goals.<\/p>\n

Creating an innovation ecosystem<\/h3>\n

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Rural areas will benefit from support to empower communities and have access to services to facilitate social innovation.<\/p>\n

Flagship initiatives<\/h4>\n

This community-led approach involves every strands of the population in rural areas:<\/p>\n