The European Commission launched the Rural Pact, a key new initiative announced in the Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas. The new pact aims to mobilise public authorities and stakeholders to act on the needs and aspirations of rural communities. It will provide a common framework to engage and cooperate at EU, national, regional and local level. The Rural Pact is a framework for cooperation among authorities and stakeholders at the European, national, regional and local level. It aims to contribute to achieving the shared goals of the long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas. The Pact initiates a long-term process. It seeks to simplify interaction on ideas and experiences, to help public authorities, stakeholders and citizens to combine and increase efforts for the benefit of rural areas.
How will the Pact be developed?
The Rural Pact will be developed with all stakeholders who support the shared goals proposed in the Communication. The Commission will act as a facilitator. The key partners mentioned in the Communication are the Committee of the Regions, the networks under the Common Agricultural Policy and Cohesion policy and the European Rural Parliament. Beyond these, the Commission aims to engage with all European institutions, national and local authorities, stakeholder organisations and citizens from the 27 Member States, including women and young people, to design and adhere to the pact. Stakeholders are free to join this process at any time.
Join the Rural Pact community
The Rural Pact engagement form allows authorities and stakeholders to join a community which aims at stronger, more connected, resilient and prosperous rural areas in the EU by 2040. At the Rural Pact high-level conference in June 2022, this community will decide how the various authorities and stakeholders can interact, organise and follow-up on voluntary commitments, translating the vision into concrete actions.
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