Report from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions
This report answers the commitment made in the rural vision Communication to ‘take stock of what actions have been carried out’ and provide ‘a set of reflections on possible orientations for enhanced support action and financing for rural areas, as well as on the ways forward, based on the implementation of the EU rural action plan’. The discussions on the report should inform the reflection on the preparation of the proposals for the post-2027 programming period.
The report follows a stocktake of the common agricultural policy (CAP) and cohesion policy contributions to rural areas in the 2021-2027 programming period, which was completed in mid-2023.
The first chapter provides an overview of new indicators and latest data for rural areas. The second chapter looks back at 30 months of implementing the rural vision, including a synthesis of the above-mentioned stocktaking. The third chapter outlines possible ways forward for the EU rural action plan and the rural pact and lists ideas on support for rural areas raised by other EU institutions and stakeholders and questions for reflection. It concludes by outlining opportunities for debating these ideas after the European elections in June 2024.
The report is accompanied by two staff working documents, complementing the report with detailed information on the 30 actions of the EU rural action plan.
Report
The long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas: key achievements and ways forward
Accompanying staff working documents
Taking stock of the implementation of the EU rural action plan (2021-2023)