The Declaration, adopted by the Rural Pact Coordination Group (RPCG) on 12 December 2024, sets out a strategic proposal for the post-2027 EU funds and policies to address the challenges faced by rural areas. The full text of the Declaration is available in all official EU languages and a short, one-page version is available in English.
The Declaration calls for a strong shift in future policies to ensure the sustainability and resilience of EU’s rural areas in the long run, suggesting:
- Increased and streamlined funding for rural areas through a compulsory minimum allocation to rural areas from all post-2027 EU funds and a better resourcing of community-led, place-based approaches, such as LEADER and Smart Villages;
- Enhanced coordination among relevant administrative bodies at all governance levels, compulsory implementation of the Rural Pact model, including multi-fund and multi-stakeholder coordination, and guidance and training for the implementation of ‘rural proofing’;
- Capacity building for local actors, including on access to funding, tailored interventions reflecting the diversity of rural areas and their particular needs, and extended use of data to inform evidence- and result-based future policies.
Explore the Declaration in detail and do not hesitate to use it in your advocacy activities and disseminate it within your networks.
The document is a collective response to the questions set out in the European Commission’s report on the long-term vision for EU’s rural areas of March 2024. It was developed through a strong participatory process involving RPCG members.