On strengthening rural areas in the EU through cohesion policy
REGI-PR-766660
Committee on Regional Development · Rapporteur: Denis Nesci
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This draft report on strengthening rural areas in the EU through cohesion policy welcomes the Commission's report on the long-term vision for rural areas and calls for full implementation of Article 174 TFEU.¶¶¶ It urges the Commission to devise a rural strategy for post-2027, ensure a strong rural focus in future cohesion policy, and calls on Member States to use all measures supporting rural and other disadvantaged areas.¶¶¶ The report stresses the need for services, infrastructure, support for young people and women, agriculture, tourism, SMEs, and better regulation to address demographic decline and disparities.¶¶¶
Committee position. The rapporteur proposes a resolution that welcomes the Commission's report, calls for full implementation of Article 174 TFEU, and urges a rural strategy for post-2027 cohesion policy.¶¶¶
Key points
- Welcomes the Commission's report on the long-term vision for rural areas and agrees with its objectives.¶
- Calls on the Commission and Member States to prioritise implementation of the rural action plan.¶
- Asks the Commission to fully implement Article 174 TFEU and apply the 'do no harm to cohesion' principle in all EU policies, especially in rural areas.¶
- Calls on the Commission to devise a rural strategy for the post-2027 programming period and ensure a strong rural focus in future cohesion policy.¶¶
- Calls on Member States to make full use of all measures supporting rural, inland, mountainous, insular and outermost areas.¶
- Highlights the need for high-quality services of general interest, including healthcare, transport, connectivity, water, education, digital infrastructure, postal and banking services.¶
- Stresses the importance of infrastructure development, including transport, energy networks, and digital connectivity, for economic and social growth.¶
- Emphasises the need for targeted measures to support young people, eliminate urban-rural disparities in education, economic independence, and social engagement.¶
- Calls for equal access to skills development and vocational training, and for fostering female employment with family support.¶
- Calls on the Commission and Member States to mitigate the decline in farms, support incomes and competitiveness, and encourage generational renewal.¶
- Recognises tourism as a source of income for rural areas and calls for its support in synergy with agricultural, fishing, food and cultural sectors.¶
- Calls on the Commission and Member States to promote better regulation to reduce bureaucratic burden, particularly for SMEs.¶
Who is affected
- Rural, inland, mountainous, insular and outermost areas in the EU, which would benefit from improved services, infrastructure, and support.¶¶¶
- Young people in rural areas, who would gain from targeted measures to stem demographic decline and reduce disparities with urban youth.¶
- Women in rural areas, who would benefit from equal opportunities and conditions in employment and family support.¶
- Farmers and the agri-food sector, which would receive support to mitigate the decline in farms and encourage generational renewal.¶
- Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in rural areas, which would face a reduced bureaucratic burden.¶
Figures and deadlines
- Rural areas are home to 25% of people in Europe and occupy around 83% of the EU territory.¶
- By 2033, the population of Europe's rural areas will have shrunk by 30 million people compared with 1993.¶
- 800 farms across Europe go out of business every day.¶
- Only one farm in twenty is managed by farmers below the age of 35.
Legal basis: Articles 39 and 174 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU)¶