On strengthening rural areas in the EU through cohesion policy

MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

on strengthening rural areas in the EU through cohesion policy

(2024/2105(INI))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the report from the Commission to the European Parliament on ‘The long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas: key achievements and ways forward’ (COM(2024)0450) of 27 March 2024,

– having regard to Articles 39 and 174 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU),

– having regard to Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 of 17 December 2020 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1119 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 June 2021 establishing the framework for achieving climate neutrality and amending Regulations (EC) No 401/2009 and (EU) 2018/1999 (‘European Climate Law’),

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 2 December 2021 establishing rules on support for strategic plans to be drawn up by Member States under the common agricultural policy (CAP Strategic Plans) and financed by the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) and by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and repealing Regulations (EU) No 1305/2013 and (EU) No 1307/2013,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/2116 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 2 December 2021 on the financing, management and monitoring of the common agricultural policy and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund Plus, the Cohesion Fund, the Just Transition Fund and the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and financial rules for those and for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, the Internal Security Fund and the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/694 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2021 establishing the Digital Europe Programme,

– having regard to its resolution of 4 April 2017 on women and their roles in rural areas,

– having regard to its resolution of 8 March 2022 on the role of cohesion policy in promoting innovative and smart transformation and regional ICT connectivity,

– having regard to its resolution of 13 December 2022 on a long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas: towards stronger, connected, resilient and prosperous rural areas by 2040 (2021/2254(INI)),

– having regard to its resolution of 23 November 2023 on harnessing talent in Europe’s regions (2023/2044(INI)),

– having regard to the Commission communication of 27 March 2024 on the 9th Cohesion Report (COM(2024)0149),

– having regard to the Commission report of 17 June 2020 on the impact of demographic change (COM(2020)0241),

– having regard to the Commission green paper of 27 January 2021 on ageing – fostering solidarity and responsibility between generations (COM(2021)0050),

– having regard to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas, adopted by the Human Rights Council on 28 September 2018,

– having regard to its resolution of 3 May 2022 on the EU action plan for organic agriculture,

– having regard to the study commissioned by Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development entitled ‘The future of the European Farming Model: Socio-economic and territorial implications of the decline in the number of farms and farmers in the EU’, published by the Policy Department for Structural and Cohesion Policies in April 2022,

– having regard to the Commission communication of 25 March 2021 on an action plan for the development of organic production (COM(2021)0141),

– having regard to its resolution of 24 March 2022 on the need for an urgent EU action plan to ensure food security inside and outside the EU in light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine,

– having regard to the Commission staff working document of 8 April 2021 entitled ‘Evaluation of the impact of the CAP on generational renewal, local development and jobs in rural areas’ (SWD(2021)0078),

– having regard to the opinion of the European Committee of the Regions of 26 January 2022 entitled ‘A long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas’,

– having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of 23 March 2022 entitled ‘EU long-term vision for rural areas’,

– having regard to Rule 55 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the opinion of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Regional Development (A10-0000/2025),

A. whereas, nowadays, rural areas are home to 25 % of people in Europe and occupy around 83 % of the EU territory;

B. whereas rural areas are a cornerstone of the European economy and integral to its cultural diversity, as they are the cradle of food production and guardians of our heritage and landscapes;

C. whereas, in accordance with Article 174 TFEU, the Union aims to reduce development gaps between the different regions, with a particular focus on rural areas;

D. whereas rural areas are facing demographic challenges, such as ageing, population decline, brain drain, disparities with urban areas, structural changes in the agricultural and forestry sectors, a lack of services and infrastructure, falling employment and incomes, and a persistently large digital gap;

E. whereas Europe’s rural areas have a crucial role to play in the climate transition;

F. whereas demographic changes do not affect all countries and regions equally, but have a greater impact on regions that are already lagging behind, as they exacerbate existing territorial and social imbalances;

G. whereas the overall percentage of the population living in rural areas has fallen significantly across the EU over the past 50 years, particularly as a result of ageing and emigration; whereas the highest percentage of people over the age of 65 is found in rural areas; whereas estimates suggest that by 2033 the population of Europe’s rural areas will have shrunk by 30 million people compared with 1993;

H. whereas the lack of or poor access to healthcare, water services, transport, digital infrastructure, education, and recreational and cultural activities worsen the reputation of regions, and particularly rural, inland, mountainous, insular and outermost areas, as places to live and work;

I. whereas these areas bear the brunt of depopulation, and whereas it is mainly young people leaving them as a result of job shortages and dim career prospects, and this fuels the rural exodus, resulting in an increased share of older residents and a greater risk of social isolation;

J. whereas 800 farms across Europe go out of business every day, and only one farm in twenty is managed by farmers below the age of 35;

1. Welcomes the Commission’s report on ‘The long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas: key achievements and ways forward’ and agrees with its overarching objectives;

2. Takes note of the 4 areas of action underpinning the rural vision and the 24 thematic actions making up the EU rural action plan; calls on the Commission and the Member States to place its implementation at the top of the agenda;

3. Stresses the key role rural areas have to play in shaping the economic models and the social and territorial organisation of the various Member States, and believes the EU has a duty to push for a true revival of these areas, going to extra lengths to endow our rural areas with the right tools to overcome the considerable long-term challenges which they find themselves facing and which are having an ever greater impact on regional competitiveness and social cohesion;

4. Asks the Commission to implement Article 174 TFEU in full and to see to it that all EU policies apply the ‘do no harm to cohesion’ principle, particularly in rural areas;

5. Calls on the Commission to devise a rural strategy for the post-2027 programming period;

6. Calls on the Commission to ensure a strong focus on the development of rural areas in future cohesion policy;

7. Calls on the Member States to make full use of all measures supporting rural, inland, mountainous, insular and outermost areas to secure their future and prosperity;

8. Stresses the diversity of the EU’s rural areas, for which the long-term vision calls for solutions that are devised with their needs and resources in mind and also with the involvement of local and regional authorities;

9. Highlights the need for these areas to be able to provide high-quality services of general interest to the public and to harness their strengths to achieve sustainable development, for which they should receive sufficient financial support; underlines, to that end, the need to provide healthcare, transport and connectivity services, water services, education services, digital infrastructure, and other basic services such as postal and banking services;

10. Highlights the key role that infrastructure development has to play in the economic and social growth of rural areas, given the need for transport systems with the capacity to improve connectivity and access to basic services, for energy networks and for suitable digital connectivity infrastructure;

11. Stresses the importance of promoting priority policies that support young people through targeted measures designed to stem the demographic decline in rural areas; emphasises the urgency of eliminating barriers and the significant disparities between young people in urban versus rural areas in terms of access to education, economic independence, social and political engagement, and social interaction, furnishing them with all the tools and resources they need to build a stable future in line with their aspirations, without needing to abandon their place of origin;

12. Draws attention to the need for universal equal access to measures enabling everyone to develop the high-quality skills they need to achieve their professional goals, and to vocational and educational training; laments the fact that, in many fields, the work of women is currently not rewarded with equal opportunities and conditions, and emphasises the need to foster an environment conducive to female employment, with support for families factored in;

13. Stresses the key role played by agriculture and the agri-food sector in food production and job creation – a role worth championing since as it constitutes a mainstay of the local economy, and also drives the growth and development of inland and rural areas, which often enjoy international recognition for their outstanding typical products; calls, in this regard, on the Commission and Member States to take action to mitigate the decline in the number of farms and support incomes and competitiveness, in order to stem the desertion of these areas and encourage generational renewal;

14. Recognises that tourism is frequently a source of income for rural, mountainous, insular and outermost areas, and for that reason believes that it should be supported within the rural economy, in synergy with the agricultural, fishing, food and cultural sectors;

15. Calls on the Commission and Member States to promote better regulation as a matter of priority, in order to reduce the bureaucratic burden on individuals and businesses, particularly SMEs;

16. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

This report has come about because, despite occupying 83 % of the EU territory and being home to a quarter of its population, rural areas are facing serious difficulties as a result of major demographic, economic and social challenges. These difficulties can be seen from the GDP per capita figures, which are well below the European average and point generally to the persistent disadvantage of rural with respect to urban areas.

With its aim to reduce regional disparities and foster balanced development, EU cohesion policy has a key role to play in securing a sustainable future for these areas at risk of being left behind as a result of population ageing, youth emigration, a lack of services, and limited job and social opportunities.

In particular, with this report we intend to vehemently stress the central importance of rural areas to the Union economy, not only as the cradle of food production, but also as guardians of our invaluable cultural and landscape heritage. Protecting and reviving these areas is therefore essential to safeguarding European diversity and ensuring that wider Union progress does not come at the expense of a large share of its territory and people.

It is of paramount importance that policies and tools supporting rural areas are bolstered, particularly through the application in full of Article 174 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), which aims to reduce the development gaps between different regions, with a particular focus on rural, mountainous, insular and outermost areas. Against this background, cohesion policy should be an engine for development and inclusion, and put into effect a series of tangible initiatives and measures designed to meet the specific needs of these areas, supporting their diversity and self-sufficiency, and promoting tailor-made measures that take account of local specificities.

In this regard, the implementation of cohesion policies will need to go hand in hand with closer cooperation among local, regional and national authorities, to ensure that resources and measures are truly able to meet the specific needs of each individual area.

The economic growth of rural areas depends on a whole host of targeted measures ranging from the development of infrastructure – particularly in the fields of transport, energy and digital connectivity – to the promotion of basic services, such as healthcare, education, access to career and economic opportunities, housing and water. A strategic long-term investment in these sectors will contribute not only to improving quality of life in rural areas but also to curbing depopulation, attracting back young people, respecting their right to stay and spurring rural entrepreneurship, particularly in the agricultural and agri-food sector, which remains a mainstay of the economy in these areas.

Infrastructure in Europe’s rural areas is crucial for providing access to key services and promoting economic and social development. In particular, the quality of transport and connectivity should be improved so that people have easy access to schools, hospitals, public services and job opportunities. Road and rail transport links need to be developed and upgraded to reduce the isolation of rural areas and facilitate the mobility of people and goods. It is only through the proper development of infrastructure (particularly in the transport and connectivity sector) that it will be possible to spur growth and improve the quality of life in rural areas. The EU and Member States therefore need to adopt targeted measures and invest sufficient resources to bridge infrastructure gaps, thus supporting competitiveness and social inclusion in these areas. Bridging the digital gap is also key. Boosting digital skills and providing access to reliable online services, such as high-speed internet connections and 5G, will make rural areas more competitive. This will help to bring down emigration by encouraging remote working and online learning, thereby opening up new opportunities.

Aside from transport and connectivity, investments to upgrade and extend energy infrastructure are also essential, as they ensure reliable and efficient access to energy, including renewable energy systems.

One point worth emphasising concerns policies for young people – the main protagonists of the rural exodus. Providing them with better educational, career and social prospects, and improving their access to jobs and business opportunities, is essential to reversing the trend of demographic decline. In particular, cohesion policies should promote greater equality of opportunity between urban and rural areas, so that young people can reach their potential and build a future without being forced to abandon their place of origin.

Support for women in rural areas is also important, as they often face extra challenges, including limited access to job opportunities, a lack of adequate measures to help them juggle work and family, and the shortage of childcare facilities.

What is more, it should be stressed that Europe’s rural areas have a key role to play in the climate transition, as they are on the front line of challenges pertaining to the sustainability and resilience of our continent. The European Union should advance policies that help rural areas steadily adapt to climate change, without jeopardising their capacity to produce basic goods. Against this background, agriculture has a crucial role to play, not only as a productive sector (often synonymous with excellence and quality) but also as a key element in sustainable land management. It is necessary to help farmers innovate and diversify, while at the same time boosting the competitiveness of farms. The transition to a more sustainable model requires a balanced approach: one that is mindful of local specificities and the economic needs of rural communities, without imposing changes liable to hinder their long-term development. This points to the need to provide these areas, as well as businesses, and farm and forest holders, with sufficient financial support, not least to enable them to cope with desertification, isolation and heat waves.

Looking to the future, greater emphasis must be placed on preventive measures to enhance the resilience of Europe’s rural areas in the face of natural disasters. An integrated approach to managing water resources is paramount in order to simultaneously prevent floods and tackle drought – two growing threats in many rural regions. Building new or reinforcing existing dams must be a priority. Although cohesion policy already supports initiatives in this area, new projects and further investment are needed, in line with national and regional risk management strategies, to ensure that rural areas are better prepared for, and able to withstand, extreme climate events.

This report also highlights the role of tourism, which is a major source of income for many rural areas with the potential to draw in growing numbers of visitors curious to discover their culture, nature and traditions through the unique experiences on offer. Investing in rural tourism, in synergy with the agricultural, food and cultural sectors, means not only improved accommodation facilities and a better supply of activities with which to showcase the local produce, culture and identity, but also fresh economic opportunities for local communities, encouraging job creation and entrepreneurship while keeping local traditions alive. It would also be appropriate to support the development and management of rural tourist amenities by making technology more accessible and rolling out digital services to rural areas.

There should be a special focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which are the backbone of the rural economy, making a significant contribution to job creation, economic diversification and social vitality in rural communities. Often active in traditional sectors such as agriculture, crafts or local services, SMEs are also integral to the resilience of rural areas, as they diversify income streams and decrease the dependence on more vulnerable economic sectors. Supporting rural SMEs means providing them with access to the resources, technology and skills they need to grow and innovate. Policies need to be promoted which facilitate access to finance, improve digital infrastructure and foster cooperation, so as to boost their capacity to adapt to economic challenges and to contribute to sustainable economic development in rural areas.

All of this can be achieved only by putting forward a vision for a post-2027 cohesion policy that lays emphasis on promoting regional equality, lowering territorial imbalances and supporting less-developed areas, for the sake of robust and lasting economic, social and territorial cohesion. In this regard, the upcoming multiannual financial framework (MFF) presents an opportunity to devise – in close cooperation with the local, regional and national authorities – a cohesion and growth policy that is more robust, more up-to-date and better adapted to current needs. We therefore stress the importance of the upcoming, post-2027 financial programming period, which represents a key opportunity to channel EU funds towards rural areas. The Commission, co-legislators and Member States need to work closely together to see to it that resources are allocated efficiently and that cohesion policies meet the specific needs of these areas, with a particular focus on tools supporting sustainable growth, youth employment, service improvements and infrastructure upgrades. We are also calling for a strong commitment from the Commission and Member States to mainstream rural issues into future EU policies, so that all policy initiatives are consistent with the goal of reducing territorial disparities.

Aside from the requisite funds, a further push for better regulation is also needed to restructure and reduce the administrative burden and enable beneficiaries (particularly SMEs and rural communities) to access funds more simply and efficiently. Optimising procedures, cutting red tape and enhancing transparency are vital to improving access to the available resources.

To conclude, it is essential to devise long-term strategies to support rural areas, centred on the principles of cohesion and sustainability and providing the necessary tools to address demographic, social and economic challenges, in order to ensure that these areas do not become forgotten places, but rather key players in Europe’s future without needing to continually depend on extraordinary measures.