Enhancing stakeholder involvement, developing and exchanging new knowledge, and improving performance were some of the main topics discussed at the EU’s first ever Rural Networks Assembly.
Held in Brussels on 26 January 2015, the first Rural Networks Assembly marked a major milestone in increasing stakeholder involvement in the implementation of EU Rural Development policy. The Assembly provided a unified platform to share stakeholder priorities and concerns covering all aspects of rural development policy 2014-2020, ranging from programming to evaluation and from CLLD to innovation.
The Rural Networks’ Assembly was successfully launched as the main governance body of the ENRD and EIP-AGRI networks and as an effective forum for debating the strategic framework for their activities.
The objectives of the meeting were:
- To reach a common understanding of the aims and functions of the common governance structure and organisation of the ENRD and EIP-AGRI networks and adopt the rules of procedure of the Assembly.
- To discuss the strategic framework for the rural networks, based on a logical framework derived from EU legislation.
- To identify priorities and subjects for the thematic work to be carried out by the ENRD and EIP-AGRI network, particularly for 2015.
- To propose the membership of the Steering Group.
The meeting was well attended and exchanges both lively and productive.
