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Strengthening rural areas in the EU through cohesion policy

TA-10-2025-0122 · P10_TA(2025)0122 · PE766.660

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✦ In short · AI summary of this text, generated 4 Sept 2026

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Parliament's resolution on strengthening rural areas through cohesion policy calls for a dedicated rural strategy post-2027, adequate funding, and better synergies between EU funds. It demands action on services, infrastructure, healthcare, digital connectivity, housing, and support for young people, women, and farmers. It also stresses climate resilience, water management, renewable energy, and simplified procedures.

Key points

  1. Calls on the Commission to present a rural strategy for post-2027 and ensure a rural proofing mechanism, with a report by 2027.
  2. Urges that cohesion policy remain a key pillar post-2027 with funding at least at current levels and explore additional indicators beyond GDP.
  3. Demands improved access to essential services including healthcare, transport, digital, housing, and water, with special attention to vulnerable groups.
  4. Calls for investments in broadband, 5G, digital farming, and digital literacy to close the urban-rural digital divide.
  5. Supports young people through measures like a brain drain action plan, a European fund for youth entrepreneurship, and subsidised credit.
  6. Promotes women's employment and entrepreneurship, including access to funding and childcare, and protection from violence.
  7. Calls for support for family farming, generational renewal, and measures to limit land accumulation by investment funds.
  8. Urges strict equivalence of production standards for imported agricultural products to ensure fair competition.
  9. Emphasises climate resilience, including water management, flood and drought prevention, and renewable energy expansion.
  10. Calls for simplified procedures, reduced administrative burden, and better access to EU funds for rural beneficiaries.
  11. Highlights the role of tourism, linguistic minorities, and local development tools like LEADER and CLLD.

Who is affected

  • Rural residents, including young people, women, and vulnerable groups, who would gain better services and opportunities.
  • Farmers and rural businesses, who would face less bureaucracy and more support for innovation and competitiveness.
  • Local and regional authorities, who would have more direct access to funds and a stronger role in programming.
  • Member States and the Commission, who are called on to implement strategies and allocate funding.

Figures and deadlines

  • 137 million European citizens live in rural areas, which cover about 83 % of EU territory.
  • Average income in rural areas is 87.5 % of urban average.
  • Urban areas receive three times more cohesion funding than rural areas.
  • EU could lose 6.4 million farms by 2040, from 10.3 million in 2016 to 3.9 million.
  • Rural areas have 12.6 % of young people aged 15-29 not in employment, education or training.
  • Number of farms decreased by about 37 % between 2005 and 2020.
  • New EUR 3 billion loan package from EIB Group for agriculture, forestry and fisheries.

Legal basis: Articles 39, 174, 175 and 349 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union