Europe’s local and regional leaders warned on Tuesday 31 October that the long-term sustainable development of the EU cannot be achieved without strong, sustainable rural areas and the full integration of rural communities into the European project.
A declaration adopted at the meeting of the Bureau of the Committee of the Regions (CoR) in Logroño, Spain, emphasises that all EU policies should take account of the adaptation of rural areas, promoting the attractiveness of rural areas and protecting the quality of life of rural populations, and that rural areas need targeted support to adapt to the climate crisis and the green transition.
The EU’s rural areas face long-term systemic challenges, including depopulation, a shrinking workforce, a lack of essential services and insufficient investment to respond rapidly to the green and digital transitions. Europe’s local and regional leaders are urging the EU institutions to fully involve and support rural areas in the success of the European project.
Link to the statement: https://aeur.eu/f/9c8 (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)