On the implementation of territorial development (CPR, Title III, Chapter II) and its application in the European Territorial agenda 2030

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SUGGESTIONS

The Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development calls on the Committee on Regional Development, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following suggestions into its motion for a resolution:

A. whereas rural areas face the urgent challenges of demographic decline and ageing, especially affecting EU farming populations, along with rural abandonment, lack of access to infrastructure and services, low incomes and fewer job opportunities;

B. whereas the digital and green transitions offer opportunities for stronger, connected, resilient, innovative and prosperous rural areas in the long term;

C. whereas the European Territorial Agenda 2030 calls for the territorial dimension of sectoral policies to be strengthened at all governance levels;

1. Recalls that small and family farms are the backbone of EU rural areas, providing food security and ecosystem services for European citizens;

2. Stresses the importance of improving the policy coherence and rural proofing of future EU initiatives to effectively prevent rural depopulation and to facilitate generational renewal, broadband access and job creation in rural areas;

3. Reiterates the need for full integration of the long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas in the current and future cohesion and common agricultural policy (CAP) programming frameworks to ensure that the rural dimension is properly addressed at all governance levels;

4. Underlines the potential of the LEADER community-led local development method (CLLD) to engage rural communities in local action groups for the preparation and implementation of targeted local development strategies;

5. Points to the importance of facilitating and promoting the use of multi-fund approaches to support the implementation of integrated projects for inclusive and sustainable rural development.