The President of the European Commission has announced that the Commission will develop a Long Term Vision for Rural Areas to enable them to make the most of their potential and support them in facing up to their own unique set of issues, from demographic change to connectivity, the risk of poverty and limited access to services. This should be done in close consultation with people living in rural areas, as well as local and regional authorities.
"The future of rural Europe can only be shaped locally. The public consultation will lead to a new strategy and vision for rural Europe in 2040 from and by rural people." Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission
The process of developing the vision is expected to lead to the publication of a Commission Communication before summer 2021. Its preparation has involved various Commission services including the Joint Research Centre (JRC), as well as inputs from many other stakeholders, a large-scale public consultation, an ENRD Thematic Group, various research projects funded through Horizon 2020 and numerous other sources.
The European Commission has embedded the Long-term vision for rural areas under Priority 6 - A new push for European democracy for 2019-24.
One of the milestones in developing the Vision was the Rural Vision Week, organised and supported by the ENRD.
