European Rural Pact

Place-based strategies, rural proofing, participatory governance, and capacity building for local actors emerge as central recommendations to strengthen rural society, economy and way of living.  Watch the full video from the #RuralPactConference – link in comments!     Discover a range of recommendations for updating the Rural Action Plan & guiding future #RuralPact actions across a wealth of rural topics: digital; energy; youth; innovation; inclusion…and more!    #RuralVisionEU 

What are some aspects that help sustainable rural tourism thrive? ▪️Building stakeholder capacity and trust: Collaboration grows through investment in facilitation, partnership-building, and community engagement. ▪️Improving data systems to better assess local impacts. ▪️Developing integrated, locally driven strategies: Long-term, bottom-up planning rooted in local identity and co-creation strengthens sustainability and resilience. Peer learning and horizontal networks further reinforce these efforts. Learn more in our highlights report on sustainable rural tourism 👉 https://bit.ly/46Qjxf7 #RuralPact #RuralVisionEU

Rural areas are not a problem to be solved, they are essential partners in building a greener, fairer, and more resilient Europe.    Read our new article in DG REGIO’s Panorama Magazine, exploring how the #RuralPact is weaving local voices into EU policy: http://bit.ly/46Ip9Id Discover more insights from the recent #RuralPactConference that brought together 250 stakeholders to generate concrete actions for the #RuralVisionEU: http://bit.ly/42Vl29x  

EU policies and post-2027 funding must effectively address rural needs - watch the #RuralPactConference panel debate on key priorities for rural futures: http://bit.ly/4nJCBSf The panel emphasised the importance of: - place-based, integrated approaches in the National and Regional Partnership Plans  - strong local and regional engagement  - rural proofing  - ring-fencing of funds for rural areas and LEADER/CLLD  - simplified rules… Discover more insights from the Conference: http://bit.ly/4gZPlRY   Images by European Union, 2025 #RuralVisionEU #RuralPact

Join the new Community group on energy transition in rural areas! Connect with peers to empower fair and sustainable energy planning in rural Europe:  http://bit.ly/4pHFiF3 Why join? - Bridge knowledge gaps: this group will support rural municipalities in co-designing socially just energy plans that meet the needs of all citizens. - Build a learning community: group members will form a Community of Practice that fosters peer learning, discusses challenges, and much more! - Share tools and good practices: access to resources, policy recommendations, case studies. Discover our other community groups & join the debate: http://bit.ly/3WdF8aU #RuralPact #RuralVisionEU

Rural development must remain central to EU policy frameworks – hear the #RuralPactConference high-level interventions on integrating EU policies: http://bit.ly/46GwIOj Speakers include: - Sari Essayah, Finland’s Agriculture & Forestry Minister, calling for comprehensive policies supporting generational renewal, accessible services & rural proofing - Dorothée Allain-Dupré (Landel), OECD - OCDE, debunking myths of rural decline and advocating investment in digital infrastructure, services & place-based policies - Radim Sršeň, European Committee of the Regions and Chair of the Rural Pact Coordination Group, calling for stronger coordination & collective advocacy to amplify rural voices #RuralVisionEU #RuralPact 

Are you looking for an opportunity to tackle rural innovation challenges? The SMART ERA project is searching for up to 11 innovators to act as Technology/Solution Providers across the project’s six pilot regions, located in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Finland, Italy, Slovenia, and Spain: http://bit.ly/4nWMBY5 Applications are open until 4 November: http://bit.ly/3VCQ0iC Successful applicants will receive 60 000 Euros and a tailored nine-month mentorship aimed at piloting solutions adapted to local rural realities. #RuralPact #RuralVisionEU

91% of Germany’s territory is covered by rural areas - what steps is the country taking to support the implementation of the #RuralPact? https://bit.ly/42clXC0 Explore Germany’s national strategies, regional best practices - such as those from Schleswig-Holstein and Brandenburg - along with mechanisms to engage with rural communities, and much more… Discover additional inspiring initiatives and actions from nine other EU member states: https://bit.ly/4aDgd7e #RuralVisionEU

The European Commission’s Executive Vice-President for Cohesion and Reforms Raffaele Fitto and EU Agriculture and Food Commissioner Christophe Hansen highlighted the strategic role of rural areas in Europe’s future at the #RuralPactConference. Raffaele Fitto called for stronger subsidiarity, clear accountability and genuine local ownership in rural policy governance, while Christophe Hansen underlined the importance of rural areas for the EU’s green and digital transitions and competitiveness. Echoing these points, Lithuanian rural resident Lina Noreikaitė stressed that rural communities need the tools, capacity and recognition to shape their own futures. Watch the full video recording on our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3VzbrRF #RuralPact #RuralVisionEU