Rural Pact coordination group membership

The Rural Pact Coordination Group will include up to 30 representatives, together representing each category of members of the Rural Pact in proportionate ways and aiming for a balance of types of actors (EU institutions and bodies, public authorities, NGO representatives, business representatives and citizens’ representatives), country of origin, diversity of rural contexts and gender.

More specifically, the group will be composed of:

1. 12 representatives nominated by European institutions and bodies: the European Parliament (COMAGRI and COMREGI), the trio of presidencies of the Council of the European Union (Sweden, Spain, and Belgium for the first semester 2023, evolving each semester), each to be represented by two representatives from different relevant policy areas, to be designated by national authorities, the Committee of the Regions (NAT and COTER) and the European Economic and Social committee (NAT and ECO) (assimilated to Type D and E members).
2. Three elected representatives from the networks steering the European Rural Parliament (assimilated to Type C members).
3. 15 elected representatives from European organisations active in fields of relevance to the Rural Pact and/or representing civil society and/or various business sectors and/or types of rural areas and representatives of research, academia, or innovation organisations or networks active in rural research and innovation (assimilated to Type B members).

Applicants referred to under point 3 should be individuals representing organisations that:

• Have committed to the shared goals of the rural vision by joining the Rural Pact community.
• Have committed to take tangible actions in the Rural Pact through the commitment canvas.
• Represent one (or more) of the types of participants in the Rural Pact.
• Are active/working on one or more of the themes addressed in the rural vision.
• For European organisations are active in preferably 10 EU Member States or more.

To enable the Commission to assemble a group representing the diversity described under “composition”, each organisation applying should propose at least two applications from individuals from two different genders and nationalities, maximum one of which will be retained. The finally appointed group should have no less than 40% of male or female representation and have a composition that genuinely represents rural interests. The Commission will also take into account the need to involve youth representatives. 

The Rural pact coordination group members will:

• Play a key role in steering the Rural Pact by making proposals to the European Commission on the annual work programme of the Rural Pact support office.
• Be regularly informed and consulted about policy developments regarding rural areas to provide their views on how rural voices can be raised to impact these developments.
• Be invited to all Rural Pact events organised by the Rural Pact support office.
• Have privileged access to Rural Pact communication channels and to the Rural Pact collaborative platform to spread information about the activities of their networks of interest to the Rural Pact community.

The members will be appointed by the European Commission, who may seek advice from the other EU institutions and bodies invited to designate representatives.

Applications complying with elements referred to under point “composition” will be ranked taking into account:

• Relevance of the organisation to the work of the Rural pact (number of members, countries covered, themes addressed)
• Relevance and novelty of the commitments made to the Rural Pact
• Motivations and capacity to influence the Rural pact process

Then the European Commission will compose the group with highest ranked applications seeking to achieve the required balance and diversity of representatives.