REPORT on strengthening rural areas in the EU through cohesion policy

3.6.2025 - (2024/2105(INI))

Committee on Regional Development
Rapporteur: Denis Nesci

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 Commission report of 27 March 2024 entitled ‘The long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas: key achievements and ways forward’ (COM(2024)0450),

– having regard to its resolution of 15 September 2022 on EU border regions: living labs of European integration[1],

– having regard to its resolution of 8 May 2025 on the ninth report on economic and social cohesion[2],

– having regard to the opinion of the European Committee of the Regions of 15 March 2023 on targets and tools for a smart rural Europe[3],

– having regard to the opinion of the European Committee of the Regions of 1 December 2022 on enhancing Cohesion Policy support for regions with geographic and demographic handicaps  (Article 174 TFEU)[4],

– having regard to Articles 39, 174, 175 and 349 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[5],

– 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’)[6],

– 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[7],

– 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[8],

– 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[9],

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/694 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2021 establishing the Digital Europe Programme and repealing Decision (EU) 2015/2240[10],

– having regard to the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 240/2014 of 7 January 2014 on the European code of conduct on partnership in the framework of the European Structural and Investment Funds[11],

– having regard to Principle 20 of the European Pillar of Social Rights on access to essential services,

– having regard to its resolution of 4 April 2017 on women and their roles in rural areas[12],

– 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[13],

– 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[14],

– having regard to its resolution of 23 November 2023 on harnessing talent in Europe’s regions[15],

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

– having regard to the Commission communication of 30 June 2021 entitled ‘A long-term Vision for the EU’s Rural Areas – Towards stronger, connected, resilient and prosperous rural areas by 2040’ (COM(2021)0345),

– having regard to the Commission communication of 19 February 2025 entitled ‘A Vision for Agriculture and Food – Shaping together an attractive farming and agri-food sector for future generations (COM(2025)0075),

– having regard to the Commission communication of 3 May 2022 entitled ‘Putting people first, securing sustainable and inclusive growth, unlocking the potential of the EU’s outermost regions’ (COM(2022)0198),

– 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 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 Commission communication of 20 May 2020 entitled ‘A Farm to Fork Strategy for a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system’ (COM(2020)0381),

– having regard to the Commission communication of 20 May 2020 entitled ‘EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 – Bringing nature back into our lives’ (COM(2020)0380),

– having regard to the Commission communication of 17 November 2021 entitled ‘EU Soil Strategy for 2030 – Reaping the benefits of healthy soils for people, food, nature and climate’ (COM(2021)0699),

– having regard to the UN 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 general recommendation No 34 (2016) of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women on the rights of rural women, adopted on 7 March 2016,

– having regard to its resolution of 3 May 2022 on the EU action plan for organic agriculture[16],

– 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 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[17],

– having regard to its resolution of 3 October 2018 on addressing the specific needs of rural, mountainous and remote areas[18],

– having regard to its resolution of 9 June 2021 on the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030: Bringing nature back into our lives[19],

– having regard to the Commission report of August 2019 entitled ‘Evaluation of the impact of the CAP on generational renewal, local development and jobs in rural areas’[20],

– 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’[21],

– having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions of 19 February 2025 entitled ‘How post-27 LEADER and CLLD programming could contribute to better implementation of the long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas’[22],

– having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of 23 March 2022 entitled ‘Long-term Vision for the EU’s Rural Areas’[23],

– having regard to its resolution of 19 October 2023 on generational renewal in the EU farms of the future[24],

– having regard to Enrico Letta’s report on the future of the single market, published in April 2024,

– having regard to the study requested by Parliament’s Committee on Regional Development, entitled ‘EU Cohesion Policy in non-urban areas’, published by the Policy Department for Structural and Cohesion Policies in September 2020,

– having regard to the declaration on the future of rural areas and rural development policy in the European Union, adopted by the Rural Pact Coordination Group on 12 December 2024,

– 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 (A10-0092/2025),

A. whereas, currently, 137 million European citizens – nearly one in three – live in rural areas, which account for approximately 83 % of the EU’s territory; whereas one third of the population of rural areas lives in a border region; whereas 77 % of land used for farming (134 million hectares) and 79 % of forest (148 million hectares) are located in rural areas;

B. whereas according to Eurostat, average income in rural areas is 87.5 % of average income in urban areas;

C. whereas there are still disparities in cohesion policy funding between urban and rural areas, with urban areas receiving three times more cohesion funding than rural areas[25];

D. whereas since 1991, in rural areas, the LEADER method, subsequently covered by the community-led local development policy instrument (CLLD) through local action groups (LAGs), has demonstrated that it can mobilise and empower local actors around innovative and tailored strategies;

E. whereas rural areas are a cornerstone of the European economy, home to many ‘hidden European Champions’, and are integral to Europe’s cultural diversity; whereas they are essential for food production and security, serving as guardians of our landscapes, living rural heritage, social and cultural traditions; whereas they play a key role in promoting the strategic autonomy of the EU through the agricultural sector, which remains a strategic priority of the EU; whereas rural areas symbolise many of the aspects that make Europe attractive and liveable;

F. whereas the promotion of minority languages can enhance awareness of local specificities, increasing the attractiveness of tourism and fostering economic activities linked to culture, education, craftsmanship and traditional products;

G. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted a shift in perception among the public, who have recognised the potential of rural areas as a solution to the challenges arising from crises by providing a safer, more sustainable and reliable living environment;

H. whereas cohesion policy funds alone cannot answer the increasing needs and challenges faced by rural areas in the EU; whereas greater synergies and complementarities with other EU policies, in particular with the common agricultural policy (CAP), must be ensured in order to maximise the impact of investments in rural areas, advancing the modernisation of agriculture and the development of essential services and infrastructure;

I. whereas over 40 % of land in rural areas is used for agriculture yet sadly the contribution of agriculture, forestry and fisheries to rural regions has decreased, both in economic and employment terms, to 12 % of all jobs and 4 % of gross value added;

J. whereas Parliament’s study on the future of the European farming model notes that the EU could lose 6.4 million farms by 2040, falling from 10.3 million in 2016 to 3.9 million;

K. whereas, in accordance with Articles 174, 175 and 349 TFEU, the EU aims to reduce development gaps between the different regions and coordinate its policies, including using the European Structural and Investment Funds to achieve the objectives of economic, social and territorial cohesion, with a particular focus on rural areas;

L. whereas all regions must remain eligible for funding in future cohesion policy, even strong regions facing significant transformation challenges;

M. whereas regional actors have a deeper understanding of which projects should be prioritised for support through cohesion funds, ensuring that resources are allocated in a way that best meets the specific needs of their territories;

N. whereas cohesion policy funds to rural areas should be further simplified with the objective of reducing administrative burdens, not only for the final beneficiaries but also for the relevant authorities, thereby also contributing to increased absorption rates;

O. whereas rural areas in particular are facing demographic and structural challenges, such as ageing, population decline, brain drain, growing inequalities between men and women, disparities with urban areas, structural changes in the agricultural and forestry sectors, the consequences of natural disasters, the increase of energy and transport prices, a lack of services and infrastructure, in particular for vulnerable people and persons with disabilities, the impact of these challenges on income level and on the labour market, with a consequent higher unemployment rate, and a persistently large digital gap;

P. whereas demographic challenges are particularly acute in the EU farming population, with the majority of farmers being over 50 years old;

Q. whereas strengthening cohesion in rural areas requires the adoption of measures and initiatives aimed at supporting families, also by helping young people and parents in balancing family and professional life, thereby contributing to the sustainable development of those communities;

R. whereas Europe’s rural areas and European farmers already play a crucial role in the climate transition, as they are the most affected by climate change both economically and socially, and whereas thanks to their efforts, some of the adverse impact of agriculture on the environment has been significantly reduced over the years; whereas the EU agricultural sector significantly reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 24 % between 1990 and 2021 and it is responsible for 72 % of renewable energy production and holds 78 % of the untapped potential;

S. whereas demographic changes do not affect all countries and regions equally, but have a greater impact on less developed regions, as they exacerbate existing territorial and social imbalances; whereas solutions must be found for regional imbalances and for the uneven pace of convergence between regions, some of which remain stuck in a development trap; whereas less developed regions require particular attention and support, as is the case with the EU’s rural areas and the outermost regions, due to their specific characteristics;

T. 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[26]; whereas estimates suggest that by 2033 the population of Europe’s rural areas will have shrunk by 30 million people compared with 1993;

U. whereas the lack of or poor access to healthcare, water services, affordable housing, transport, digital infrastructure, education, financial services and recreational and cultural activities worsen the reputation of regions, and particularly rural, borderland, inland, cross-border, mountainous, insular and outermost regions, as places to live and work, especially for women, young people, ageing populations and minorities; whereas cross-border areas are particularly affected by the lack of regional connectivity in terms of transport and digital infrastructure; whereas rural areas are strongly affected by the lack of stable employment opportunities, which forces young people, in particular women, to migrate;

V. whereas the availability and quality of water play a critical role in ensuring equitable, sustainable and productive rural livelihoods;

W. whereas greater emphasis should be placed on preventive measures to strengthen the resilience of Europe’s rural areas to natural disasters; whereas an integrated approach to water resources management is essential both to prevent floods and to cope with droughts, in particular through a coherent use of EU funds;

X. whereas rural areas, especially in eastern, southern and Mediterranean Europe, are the most directly affected by energy poverty and face specific challenges related to desertification, forest fires, climate change and its associated asymmetrical risks, water resource scarcity and weak infrastructure, which require a targeted approach within cohesion policy;

Y. whereas rural areas are home to the majority of the EU’s biodiversity, yet protected habitats and species remain in poor conservation status and continue to decline due to climate change and the degradation of soil and water quality, with a negative impact on natural resources; whereas biodiversity loss has severe economic consequences for the agricultural sector and negatively affects the attractiveness of rural tourism;

Z. whereas the clean energy transition, the diversification of the economy and the expansion of renewable energy sources present significant opportunities for rural and less developed regions, allowing them to leverage their natural resources and geographic advantages and to exploit their full potential for the future production of renewable energy;

AA. 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;

AB. whereas rural areas have the highest share (12.6 %) of young people aged 15-29[27] not in employment, education or training (NEETs);

AC. whereas generational renewal is one of the nine key objectives of the CAP;

AD. whereas farms, dairy farms, wine-growers and olive oil producers across Europe go out of business every day, and few farms like these are managed by farmers below the age of 35; whereas the ambitious goals of the green transition entail opportunities and also risks for economic, social and territorial cohesion, as well as for European agriculture;

AE. whereas the way we produce food has shaped the landscapes that define Europe; whereas dynamic rural areas foster quality food production which in turn supports their economy; whereas reinvigorating these connections between food and territory and revitalising rural areas will be essential for the future of farming in Europe;

AF. whereas a robust cohesion policy is essential to guaranteeing the effective application of the ‘right to stay’ principle in rural areas, which requires action on many levels, including by fostering economic stability and preventing depopulation; stresses that ensuring access to a basic set of public goods and services for all citizens, especially young people, regardless of where they live, is crucial; whereas it is necessary, to this end, to promote targeted investment in infrastructure, services, education, and innovation;

1. Welcomes the Commission report of 27 March 2024 entitled ‘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 four areas of action underpinning the rural vision and the 30 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, particularly as the cradle of agricultural and food production, but also as custodians of an irreplaceable cultural and landscape heritage; notes, however, that their significance remains under-appreciated and inadequately funded; believes that the EU has a duty to push for a true revival and regeneration of these areas, going to extra lengths to endow our rural areas with the right tools to overcome the considerable long-term challenges they are facing and which are having an ever greater impact on regional competitiveness and social cohesion, in order to preserve European diversity and ensure that the Union’s progress does not come at the expense of rural areas and their populations;

4. Considers it important to develop short supply chains and to promoting the use of labelling schemes to acknowledge the quality and variety of traditional products from rural areas; stresses that public canteens, such as school and hospital canteens, can play a significant role in the development of short agrifood supply chains;

5. Recognises the key role of small and medium-sized towns as development centres in rural regions and calls on the Commission and the Member States to specifically strengthen their economic, social and infrastructural functions, revitalise city centres, better utilise synergies between rural areas and large metropolitan regions, and ensure more balanced territorial development;

6. Stresses the urgent need for measures to combat poverty in rural areas by developing targeted strategies to improve social security, create economic opportunities, and support particularly vulnerable populations, in order to break the cycle of poverty;

7. Stresses that rural areas are key players in mitigating the effects of climate change; emphasises the need for increased investment in research and innovation for rural areas, particularly in the fields of sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, digital transformation and innovative mobility solutions, to enhance the competitiveness and resilience of rural regions and create energy self-sufficiency and new employment opportunities; encourages the sustainable management of forests and the prevention of forest fires, also by promoting the use of biomass which is gathered without harm to forest ecosystems;

8. Calls for the expansion of renewable energy in rural areas based on their potential to reduce energy costs with the involvement of civil society and local communities; emphasises the need for financial incentives, measures such as renewable energy communities and simplified administrative processes to boost regional energy independence and sustainability while avoiding negative impacts on food production, land availability and prices, as well as on social cohesion; calls for a dedicated financing mechanism for the installation of photovoltaic, wind and other renewable energy sources;

9. Calls for increased support for the preservation, restoration and conversion of older buildings, including historical buildings, churches and other places of worship, sports halls and schools in rural areas to improve energy efficiency, sustainability and safety; urges investments in the modernisation of public infrastructure while preserving historical structures where possible; calls on the Commission and the Member States to promote targeted policies that support the renovation and energy-efficient retrofitting of rural housing, financial incentives for first-time rural homebuyers, in particular for young people and families, and the development of sustainable and affordable housing projects adapted to the needs of local communities that contribute to the attractiveness and revitalisation of these regions;

10. Asks the Commission to assess and to implement Article 174, 175 and 349 TFEU in full to close the development gap among regions, including in relation to infrastructure, and to see to it that all EU policies not only apply the ‘do no harm to cohesion’ principle, but also that they follow a more assertive ‘promote cohesion’ approach wherever possible, particularly in rural areas and in areas particularly affected by industrial transition, demographic challenges and depopulation, and those at risk of depopulation, such as outermost regions, islands, border, cross-border and mountain regions;

11. Calls on the Commission to devise a rural strategy for the post-2027 programming period; urges the Commission and the Member States to ensure the incorporation of a rural dimension in relevant policies and to make sure that the strategy promotes the economic and social development of rural areas and to allocate specific resources to the modernisation of agriculture, supporting rural small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and start-up and promoting short supply chains in order to make rural areas more connected, competitive, resilient and attractive to young people and investors, thereby ensuring balanced and sustainable development in the long term and enhancing the quality of life; stresses, in this regard, the importance of having a truly effective rural proofing mechanism at EU level so to assess the potential of all relevant policies and to mitigate any possible negative impacts they may have on rural areas;

12. Stresses that in order to ensure the long-term prosperity of rural areas and support a strong agricultural sector to maintain this prosperity in rural areas, it is essential to strengthen the synergies between EU Structural and Investment Funds and Horizon Europe, the EU’s flagship research and innovation programme, and the CAP in the next multiannual financial framework (MFF);

13. Calls on the Commission to present, by 2027, a report on the application of the rural proofing mechanism to policies and interventions at EU level, as well as the results obtained;

14. Calls on the Commission to prioritise focused investments and policy measures to support the transition to a new generation of farmers in order to modernise EU agriculture and create more opportunities in rural areas;

15. Highlights the crucial role of cohesion policy for the development of rural areas as a decentralised, powerful tool for economic and social development, allowing all regions to tackle these specific challenges of the Union; underlines in this regard that cohesion policy should continue to be a key pillar of the MFF post-2027, with an allocation that is maintained at a minimum threshold equivalent to the current MFF 2021-2027 levels, ensuring its fundamental role in reducing regional disparities and shaping a more resilient and competitive Europe that leaves no one behind; calls for the option of providing adequate resources for rural and mountainous areas to be explored in the next cohesion policy framework and complementing GDP at regional level with other indicators; recalls that the fundamental principles of cohesion policy, such as partnership, multi-level-governance, a place-based approach and shared management, must be respected in order to foster development and to meet the specific needs and challenges of rural areas with a particular focus on tools supporting sustainable growth and development and youth and female employment, including among victims of violence against women, and improving services and infrastructure;

16. Believes that smart specialisation and economic diversification strategies could promote more opportunities in rural areas; emphasises, in particular, the key importance of integrating the concept of smart villages into cohesion policy and of explicitly supporting the development of smart villages, with flexible funding and an integrated approach, as an innovative tool for enhancing the quality of life and revitalising rural areas and services through digital and social innovation and initiatives such as the promotion of working spaces in order to attract workers, including remote workers, and to contribute to revitalising local economies;

17. Encourages initiatives that promote economic and social sustainability, including support for rural entrepreneurship, rural tourism and new business models based on innovation and digitalisation;

18. Calls on the Commission to ensure a strong and holistic focus on the development of rural areas in the future cohesion policy, in such a way that all policy initiatives are consistent with the goal of reducing territorial disparities; believes 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; calls, in this regard, on the Commission to support the significant development of rural areas in the future cohesion policy, and to commit to setting up local info points and offering a platform and financial support to enable Member States to exchange information and best practice on funding possibilities, with a view to providing local authorities with effective support and assisting with resource management and the implementation of development initiatives; emphasises, furthermore, that the effective participation of regional, local and rural authorities and a strong administrative capacity are crucial for the reduction of the excessive administrative burden and complex requirements for recipients and for the effective execution of cohesion policy funds; highlights that multi-funding still appears difficult in some countries and calls on the Commission to enhance complementarities between the EAFRD and cohesion policy funds;

19. Stresses the need for an integrated European strategy for the revitalisation of rural areas, including through the development of bio-districts, recognising their potential to diversify the rural economy by targeting fiscal, economic and social measures to maintain the active population; also highlights the value of introducing incentives for the relocation of health, education and public administration professionals, as well as the importance of partnerships between local authorities and the private sector for the creation of new jobs;

20. Underlines that expanding integrated territorial investment (ITI) plans and unlocking their full potential could establish them as a cornerstone for integrated regional, local, and rural development; emphasises that strengthening ITIs’ role in rural areas is essential to foster territorial cohesion, enhance connectivity and drive inclusive economic growth by supporting key sectors such as agriculture, rural SMEs, tourism and renewable energy; calls, furthermore, for greater flexibility in ITI implementation, increased financial allocations and reinforced synergies with other EU funding mechanisms, including LEADER and CLLD, key instruments for fostering bottom-up participatory rural development and for keeping and restoring living and thriving local rural economies, to maximise impact and actively involve regional and local authorities and civil society in line with the partnership principle;

21. Suggests that all relevant Directorates-General of the Commission conduct a territorial impact assessment of their respective policies at least twice per programming period; believes that these evaluations would establish a more precise baseline and identify ways to integrate the characteristics of rural areas into EU policies more effectively;

22. Calls on the Member States to make full use of all measures supporting rural, inland, mountainous, insular and outermost regions, as well as cross-border regions and regions at the EU’s external borders, including those bordering Russia, Belarus and Ukraine which are most affected by the war, to mitigate economic disruption and to secure their future and prosperity; welcomes the new BRIDGEforEU Regulation and asks the Member States to implement it, enhancing the cooperation between cross-border regions to enable economies of scale when providing basic services and infrastructure in the rural areas affected;

23. Stresses the diversity of the EU’s rural areas, for which the long-term vision calls for solutions that are tailored to the needs and resources of rural areas while reinforcing long-term strategies for sustainable growth; underlines in this regard the need to fully involve local and regional authorities, which are best placed to identify current challenges and needs at the regional and local levels; highlights the importance of maintaining a decentralised model for the programming and implementation of cohesion policy based on the principle of partnership and multi-level governance and a place-based bottom-up approach; calls, therefore, for the strong involvement of regional and local authorities to ensure more direct access for local and regional authorities to cohesion policy funds, reducing bureaucratic complexity and shortening disbursement times, through more streamlined procedures, intuitive digital platforms and increased technical support for local beneficiaries; proposes encouraging the use of pre-financing and advance payment schemes for small projects in rural areas;

24. Stresses that centralisation may lead to bureaucratic inefficiencies and delays in fund absorption, ultimately reducing the effectiveness of EU investments in rural development;

25. Highlights that the management approach to rural areas’ development policies needs to be coordinated, integrated and multi-sectoral in its implementation and that reinforcing a multi-level approach in line with the subsidiarity principle is essential to ensure its success;

26. Highlights that resilience is essential to enable authorities at local and regional levels to mitigate, adapt to and recover from sudden challenges, ensuring community well-being, security and long-term sustainability;

27. Calls for an adequate share of cohesion policy funding to be allocated to the border regions and calls in this regard for the European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation (EGTCs) to be granted a higher degree of autonomy in selecting projects and using funds, in particular by designating EGTCs as managing authorities for Interreg programmes, strengthening their institutional and financial capacity; recommends furthermore that EGTCs be granted a more significant role in achieving policy objective 5, namely bringing Europe closer to its citizens;

28. Underlines the need to strengthen democratic and political participation in rural areas by promoting active civic engagement and digital tools; calls on the Commission to support initiatives that foster local democratic processes to improve cohesion between urban and rural regions;

29. Highlights the need for rural areas to be able to provide essential high-quality services of general interest to the public to improve their livelihood 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 equal access, in particular to vulnerable people and people with disabilities, to all healthcare services, transport and connectivity services, including innovative mobility solutions, specific plans for affordable housing, water services, education and training services, digital infrastructure, and other basic services such as postal and banking services, ensuring their accessibility and affordability in order to guarantee proper living conditions; calls, therefore, on the Commission and the Member States to facilitate access to funding and tailored support measures for social economy initiatives that address local needs and contribute to regional development and, at the same time, to reinforce the financial support offered to rural SMEs, in particular through easing access to financial resources, cooperatives and local value chains that foster economic diversification;

30. Stresses the strategic importance of water resources for rural areas and highlights the need to provide sufficient resources, under the cohesion policy and in rural development programmes, for maintaining and upgrading the water network; recommends, in particular, the inclusion of measures to combat leakage, improve the efficiency of supply systems and promote the sustainable use of water resources in rural areas;

31. Regards it as essential to place greater emphasis on preventive measures to enhance the resilience of Europe’s rural areas in the face of natural disasters; believes that 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 – within both agriculture and the food sector; acknowledges that depending on the context, building dams and reservoirs or upgrading existing facilities is a priority, while striking a balance between built infrastructure and relatively low cost soft measures, not least because they can be a clean source of energy; notes that although cohesion policy already supports initiatives in this area, additional projects and increased 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, climate-related extreme weather events;

32. Stresses the growing threat of climate risks such as natural disasters, desertification and water scarcity for many rural areas in Europe, particularly in southern Europe and in the Mediterranean basin; calls on the Commission to promote forward looking adaptation strategies at national, regional and local levels, including water management, resilient infrastructure and disaster preparedness, and calls for investments in innovative water infrastructure, such as the reuse of treated wastewater and smart irrigation systems, and the construction of reservoirs for rainwater harvesting;

33. Notes that rural areas suffer from limited access to essential healthcare services, with a shortage of facilities and medical personnel, and therefore calls for improved access to quality healthcare, including mental health services;

34. Calls on the Member States and local authorities to safeguard essential services that are vital to the development of rural areas by refraining from imposing economic constraints on healthcare in rural areas, as this would lead to the closure, or a fall in the number of, first-aid facilities and basic hospital structures, which should be strengthened;

35. Calls on the Commission and Member States to develop a plan for mobile medical units and for telemedicine, the strengthening of medical services including medical spa services, community health nurses and digital health solutions and incentives for doctors working in rural and remote areas;

36. Calls on the Commission to incorporate specific measures targeting areas identified as rural into its eHealth strategy, in order to provide local healthcare units with practical support for technological upgrades, and to promote the services such units offer; stresses that Member States should also be offered a screening programme targeting rural areas and that administrative support should also be put in place to assist with the drawing up of plans and prevention registers; calls on the Member States to take into account the particular characteristics of these areas and to encourage rural pharmacies to be set up, in order to specifically adapt pharmacy networks to a rural area, with coordination arrangements for medicines and medical devices supply, with the aim of streamlining and adapting the needs of healthcare units to the individual area; calls on the Member States to improve the provision of primary care and support services among these pharmacies termed ‘rural’;

37. 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, particularly public ones, with the capacity to improve connectivity and access to essential services, for energy networks, including renewables, and for suitable digital connectivity infrastructure; notes, in particular, that the quality of transport and digital connectivity should be improved so that people have easy access to labour, schools, hospitals, public services and job opportunities; underlines that road, rail and maritime transport links need to be developed or upgraded through EU co-funded programmes to reduce the isolation of rural areas, in particular from urban centres, narrowing the existing gap, and to facilitate sustainable mobility of people and goods; calls for a comprehensive strategy to improve mobility in rural areas, with a strong focus on sustainability, the expansion of charging infrastructure and the promotion of e-mobility; emphasises the need for targeted investments in public transport, shared mobility solutions and alternative transport models to ensure accessibility and connectivity for rural populations;

38. Stresses that the digital divide between rural and urban areas remains significant, hindering equal opportunities for all residents; calls on the Commission and the Member States to accelerate investments in broadband connectivity, including 5G, better mobile coverage, high-speed internet networks, digital farming solutions and rural innovation hubs, ensuring that digital transformation benefits rural communities, while paying special attention to the regions less prepared for this transformation, including remote areas and outermost regions; stresses that these investments are crucial to enhancing productivity, supporting small farms’ entrepreneurship, facilitating remote working, accessing e-services and online teaching and ensuring that rural areas remain competitive in the digital age; stresses the need for digital literacy and vocational training initiatives to support the integration of digital technologies into the rural economy and to bridge the existing technological and economic divides;

39. Stresses the importance and interconnectedness of military mobility, rural infrastructure development and regional security; underlines the overlap between the EU military mobility network and the Trans-European Transport Network;

40. Calls for strategies to address vacant buildings and promote alternative housing concepts in rural areas, including affordable housing, renovation projects and intergenerational living; emphasises the need for incentives to repurpose empty properties, support community-driven housing initiatives and ensure sustainable, inclusive living spaces;

41. Stresses the importance of promoting priority policies that support young people, as the main actors of the rural exodus, and calls on the Commission to ensure them an effective application of the ‘right to stay’ through targeted measures, designed to stem the demographic decline in rural areas and to encourage talented people to remain there; believes that individuals who wish to contribute to the development of their local communities should be provided with ample opportunities, and that it is therefore urgent to eliminate barriers and the significant disparities between young people in urban and rural areas in terms of access to high quality education, economic independence, social and political engagement, and intergenerational social interaction; calls for concrete measures and targeted funding programmes, including a brain drain action plan from the Commission, to support young people and young entrepreneurs, providing them with all the tools and resources they need to help them to access agricultural lands, jobs and business opportunities; notes that such measures should include improved access to public services, educational and cultural facilities, access to housing, low-interest loans and, with due regard to the principle of subsidiarity in fiscal matters, tax-related incentives to help young people build a stable future in line with their aspirations, without needing to abandon their place of origin, and creating incentives to settle down in or return to rural areas; considers it necessary, therefore, to promote measures to diversify the rural economy by harnessing local potential, including in areas outside agriculture and tourism, and to create quality jobs;

42. Highlights the importance of boosting vocational education and training while also fostering youth-led initiatives and non-formal learning for young people to develop specific skills related to the economy of rural areas, as a tool for social cohesion and quality employment, with a view to combating depopulation in those areas;

43. Highlights the key role of awareness raising and knowledge-sharing campaigns in advancing various education campaigns and programmes, and the importance of making them an integral part of school curricula; stresses the increasingly worrying data on early school leaving and to that end, calls on national and local authorities to reorganise their school systems to guarantee the right to education in their territories, bearing in mind the serious and objective difficulties they may face; calls on the Member States and local authorities, therefore, not to merge existing schools management structures in those areas;

44. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to provide for new subsidised credit facilities that can support young entrepreneurs and women in their activities, including alternative forms of guarantees for access to credit; calls for financial support to empower young farmers, ensuring growth in rural economies;

45. Welcomes the new EUR 3 billion loan financing package from the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group for agriculture, forestry and fisheries across Europe as a tangible initiative to close the funding gaps for SMEs in agriculture and the bio-economy and facilitate financing for young farmers and women; calls on the EIB Group to explore new forms of support to provide liquidity for actors along agricultural and rural value chains;

46. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to promote local start-ups and incentive programmes for the return of young people and for the purchase and renovation of housing by young people in rural areas;

47. Calls on the Commission to establish a European fund for youth entrepreneurship in rural areas, with a special focus on regions affected by high youth unemployment and brain drain; notes that this fund should support rural start-ups, innovative agriculture, sustainable tourism and digitalisation through dedicated financial instruments and tax incentives;

48. 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 rural areas, in many fields, the work of women is currently not rewarded with equal opportunities and conditions, 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 a shortage of childcare facilities; emphasises the need to foster an environment conducive to female employment, with support for all families, ensuring high quality early childhood education and care systems and parental support;

49. Calls for increased support for women in rural areas, particularly through measures to improve access to employment, education, healthcare and social infrastructure, as well as protection from violence and violence prevention, to promote their economic and social participation; emphasises that targeted programmes should be created to support female entrepreneurs in rural regions in order to strengthen their economic independence;

50. Stresses that support for women in rural areas is imperative for a variety of reasons, including promoting gender equality, fostering economic growth, advancing community development, reducing poverty and ensuring environmental sustainability; highlights that women play a multilevel role in rural development, as workers, farmers and business owners, and stresses that their importance in rural areas and local economies is often overlooked; stresses that special attention should be paid to women in rural areas when designing structural social support and regional development programmes; highlights that addressing these barriers is crucial for empowering women and unlocking their full potential in rural communities;

51. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to boost awareness regarding existing and future EU funding possibilities for women entrepreneurs in rural areas and to make it easier for them to access financial support; encourages the Member States and regional and local authorities to make use of the existing EU structural and investment funds to promote women entrepreneurs;

52. Calls for gender-equality employment policies and targeted measures to promote a better work-life balance in rural areas, including flexible working models, digital work opportunities, improved leisure and education offerings, and the promotion of community-based care and support structures for families;

53. Urges the Commission to adopt measures to protect the family farming model that underpins the rural territory, is more environmentally friendly and guarantees food security in the EU; stresses the need for a EU system of incentives to limit the accumulation of agricultural land in private investment funds and the consequent increase in land prices; insists on the protection of small and medium-sized farms by strengthening the role of cooperatives and professional farmers in EU policies; furthermore, encourages the Member States to implement concrete measures to support these farms by simplifying access to credit, modernising rural infrastructure and giving impetus to agricultural cooperatives;

54. Stresses the key role played by agriculture and the agri-food sector in food production, ensuring food security in the EU and job creation – a role worth championing since as it constitutes a mainstay of the local economy and is a key factor in ensuring sustainable land management, and also drives the growth and development of inland and rural areas, which often enjoy international recognition for their outstanding typical products; notes that it is necessary to help farmers innovate and diversify, while at the same time fostering farm competitiveness; believes that the transition to a more sustainable model requires a balanced approach, mindful of local specificities and the economic needs of rural communities, without imposing changes liable to hinder their long-term development; calls, in this regard, on the Commission and the Member States to take strong and targeted action by reducing excessive regulatory burdens and ensuring fair market conditions, to mitigate the decline in the number of farms and encourage generational renewal; calls for adequate support to promote food self-sufficiency and crop diversification; highlights in particular the specific structural challenges of the outermost regions and their rural areas;

55. Urges the Commission and the Member States, in order to strengthen food security and ensure that European farmers do not face unfair competition from products that do not meet the same environmental, animal welfare and food security standards, to enforce strict equivalence of production standards for agricultural products imported into the EU and calls  on the Commission, in this regard, to ensure that trade agreements uphold European agricultural standards and ensure a level playing field for EU farmers;

56. Acknowledges that the ambitious goals of the green transition entail opportunities as well as risks for EU agriculture; emphasises that the number of farms in the EU decreased between 2005 and 2020 by about 37 % and calls on the Commission and the Member States, in this regard, to take action to mitigate the decline in the number of farms and support their revenues and competitiveness, in order to stem the desertion of these areas and encourage generational renewal;

57. Points to the need to simplify administrative procedures for accessing EU funds by reducing red tape for farmers and small rural businesses and improving coordination between the institutional levels involved in the management of funds in order to ensure that resources are provided more efficiently and in a more timely manner;

58. Points also to the need to provide these areas, as well as businesses and farm and forest holders, with sufficient financial support, including support for the purchase and maintenance of equipment, with a view to increasing European competitiveness;

59. Is fully aware that rural areas play a key role in the green and digital transitions; underlines that the transitions have to be implemented gradually, along the lines of achievable goals; calls in this regard for EU funding to be better linked with environmental sustainability and biodiversity protection;

60. Highlights the need to support rural communities in European regions that have been most adversely affected by the trade in or export of Ukrainian agricultural products;

61. Points to the importance of compensatory measures for farmers and rural businesses to ensure that the ecological transition is fair and practical and does not lead to new socio-economic disparities; highlight that for this transition to be successful, the full involvement and collaboration of all stakeholders, in particular farmers and foresters, will be key;

62. Highlights that promoting agriculture is a necessary component of any strategy for rural development, but that on its own it is not sufficient, as not all people in rural areas are employed in the agricultural sector or live in agricultural structures;

63. Recognises that tourism is frequently a major source of income for rural, mountainous, insular and outermost regions, as well as in the Mediterranean region, with the potential to encourage job creation and entrepreneurship and to draw in growing numbers of visitors curious to discover their nature, traditions and cultural heritage through the unique experiences on offer; believes, for that reason, that tourism should be supported through investment in the rural economy, in synergy with the agricultural, fishing, food and cultural sectors, and that the EU should promote the co-existence and further development of these sectors;

64. Highlights that rural and agro-tourism can be a complementary activity to agriculture, offering opportunities for diversifying farm incomes and benefiting the development of rural areas, and that resources should therefore be allocated to the development of tourism and HoReCa activities;

65. Underlines the need to promote rural tourism in a way that is sustainable; highlights the importance of optimising the economic benefits of tourism for rural areas, while minimising the potential negative impacts on local communities and ecosystems;

66. Emphasises the importance of protecting and promoting linguistic minorities in the rural areas of the EU, recognising them as an integral part of Europe’s cultural heritage and as a driver of regional development; therefore calls on the Commission and the Member States to allocate cohesion policy resources to support projects for linguistic promotion, training, cultural tourism and local entrepreneurship connected to the linguistic and cultural traditions of the regions;

67. Urges the Commission and the Member States to boost tourism in rural and depopulated areas or areas at risk of depopulation, by financing initiatives that enhance historic villages and traditional local products and establishing new green paths and other nature trails, as well as a label recognising outstanding environments in rural and nature tourism along similar lines to the ‘blue flag’ awarded to beaches;

68. Notes that in some Member States, municipalities play a crucial role as drivers of regional economic development, benefiting from substantial tax revenues generated by their local economies; highlights that these revenues can motivate municipalities to invest EU cohesion funds in increasing their future tax base, promoting long-term local economic growth and securing long-term tax revenues; to this end, calls on the Commission, with due regard for the principle of subsidiarity in fiscal matters, to initiate a dialogue on the potential benefits of sharing taxes on economic activities with municipalities;

69. Insists that excessive bureaucracy should not prevent farmers from focusing on sustainable food production and rural economic development; calls on the Commission and the Member States to include a strong rural dimension in the future cohesion policy regulations and to promote better regulation as a matter of priority, in order to reduce administrative burdens and to take steps to ensure the competitiveness of rural businesses, particularly SMEs, cooperatives and citizen-led communities, and to promote easier and more efficient access to funds, cost reductions and simplified application and evaluation processes for EU funding, especially for small beneficiaries; reaffirms that optimising procedures, cutting red tape and enhancing transparency are vital to improving access to the available resources; calls on the Commission, therefore, to provide adequate advisory services and technical assistance to managing authorities, thereby also contributing to increased absorption rates;

70. Calls for a more integrated approach between EU industrial and cohesion policies, ensuring that regional development strategies are aligned with industrial transition efforts, particularly in northern, sparsely populated areas;

71. Emphasises the importance of SMEs in technological sectors for rural digitalisation and economic resilience; calls on the Commission to ensure that public measures support local businesses and foster proximity-based economies, avoiding criteria that may disadvantage smaller enterprises;

72. Stresses the need for better alignment between existing territorial development instruments and Structural Funds, including initiatives such as Harnessing Talent and the Covenant of Mayors;

73. 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[28] 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.

 

ANNEX: ENTITIES OR PERSONS FROM WHOM THE RAPPORTEUR HAS RECEIVED INPUT

The rapporteur declares under his exclusive responsibility that he did not receive input from any entity or person to be mentioned in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.

 

 

OPINION OF THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (9.4.2025)

for the Committee on Regional Development

on strengthening rural areas in the EU through cohesion policy

(2024/2105(INI))

Rapporteur for opinion: Cristina Guarda

 

AMENDMENT

The Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development submits the following to the Committee on Regional Development, as the committee responsible:

Amendment  1

Motion for a resolution

Citation 1 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	– having regard to the Commission communication of 30 June 2021 entitled ‘A long-term Vision for the EU’s Rural Areas – Towards stronger, connected, resilient and prosperous rural areas by 2040’ (COM(2021)0345),

Amendment  2

Motion for a resolution

Citation 11 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	– having regard to its resolution of 19 October 2023 on generational renewal in the EU farms of the future1a,   1a OJ C, C/2024/2658, 29.4.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/2658/oj.

Amendment  3

Motion for a resolution

Citation 17 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	– having regard to the study requested by Parliament’s Committee on Regional Development entitled ‘EU Cohesion Policy in non-urban areas’, published by the Policy Department for Structural and Cohesion Policies in September 2020,

Amendment  4

Motion for a resolution

Citation 18 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	– having regard to the Commission communication of 19 February 2025 entitled ‘A Vision for Agriculture and Food – Shaping together an attractive farming and agri-food sector for future generations’ (COM(2025)0075),

Amendment  5

Motion for a resolution

Citation 23 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	– having regard to the Rural Pact Coordination Group Declaration of 12 December 2024 on the future of rural areas and rural development policy in the European Union,

Amendment  6

Motion for a resolution

Citation 25 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	– having regard to its resolution of 3 October 2018 on addressing the specific needs of rural, mountainous and remote areas1a,   1a OJ C 11, 13.1.2020, p. 15.

Amendment  7

Motion for a resolution

Citation 25 b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	– having regard to Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 240/2014 of 7 January 2014 on the European code of conduct on partnership in the framework of the European Structural and Investment Funds12b,   12b OJ L 74, 14.3.2014, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2014/240/oj.

Amendment  8

Motion for a resolution

Citation 25 c (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	– having regard to the study requested 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,

Amendment  9

Motion for a resolution

Recital A

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
A. whereas, nowadays, rural areas are home to 25 % of people in Europe and occupy around 83 % of the EU territory;	A. whereas, nowadays, rural areas are home to one in three – 137 million – people in Europe and occupy around 83 % of the EU territory; whereas 77 % (134 million hectares) of land used for farming and 79 % (148 million hectares) of forest are located in rural areas;

Amendment  10

Motion for a resolution

Recital A a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	Aa. whereas the complementarity of EU cohesion funds and CAP funds enables an integrated approach, which maximises the impact of investments in rural areas and better meets territorial needs, thereby advancing the modernisation of agriculture and the development of essential services and infrastructure;

Amendment  11

 

Motion for a resolution

Recital B

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
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;	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; whereas it is essential to recognise the role of rural areas in promoting the strategic autonomy of the EU and its food security and sovereignty, reducing dependence on imports and strengthening the resilience of the European agri-food system in the face of global crises; whereas creating good future conditions for farmers by reducing bureaucracy is essential for ensuring sustainable production;

Amendment  12

 

Motion for a resolution

Recital B a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	Ba. whereas over 40 % of land in rural areas is used for agriculture, yet sadly the contribution – both in economic and employment terms – of the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors to rural regions has decreased to just 12 % of all jobs and 4 % of gross value added;

Amendment  13

Motion for a resolution

Recital B b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	Bb. whereas some of these rural areas are in the outermost regions of France, Spain and Portugal, and have specific characteristics in terms of their geography, weather and remoteness that must be taken into account;

Amendment  14

 

Motion for a resolution

Recital C

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
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;	C. Whereas, pursuant to Article 174 TFEU, the Union aims to strengthen its economic, social and territorial cohesion and to reduce disparities between the levels of development of the various regions, with a particular emphasis on rural areas; whereas, pursuant to Article 175 TFEU, Member States are to conduct and coordinate their economic policies with a view to achieving the objectives set out in Article 174;

Amendment  15

 

Motion for a resolution

Recital C a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	Ca. whereas GDP per capita in rural areas remains at around 70 % of GDP per capita in the EU1a;
	__________________
	1a Commission communication of 30 June 2021 entitled ‘A long-term Vision for the EU’s Rural Areas – Towards stronger, connected, resilient and prosperous rural areas by 2040’ (COM(2021)0345),

Amendment  16

 

Motion for a resolution

Recital D

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
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;	D. whereas rural areas are facing social and economic issues as well as demographic challenges, such as ageing, with persisting obstacles for generational renewal, population decline, brain drain, disparities with urban areas, structural changes in the agricultural and forestry sectors, a lack of services and infrastructure, increasingly frequent natural disasters, falling employment and incomes, housing issues and a persistently large digital gap; whereas the employment gap between men and women in rural areas is of the order of 13 percentage points (compared to 10 percentage points in cities), exceeding 20 in some Member States, with women’s participation in the workforce being only 31.6 % in 2022, according to Eurostat data; whereas simplification and support for new businesses in rural and coastal areas, both for agriculture and SMEs, will boost employment and make these areas more attractive to young people;

Amendment  17

 

Motion for a resolution

Recital D a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	Da. whereas EU cohesion funds are necessary to meet the increasing needs and challenges faced by the EU’s rural areas;

Amendment  18

 

Motion for a resolution

Recital E

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
E. whereas Europe’s rural areas have a crucial role to play in the climate transition;	E. whereas Europe’s rural areas have a crucial role to play in the climate transition and in natural disaster risk management, by providing ecosystem services that contribute to mitigating climate change and promoting environmental protection, while also playing a key role in ensuring food security; whereas thanks to the efforts undertaken in rural areas and those of European farmers, some of the adverse impacts of agriculture on the environment have been reduced over the years, such as, for example, the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions, which decreased by 24 % between 1990 and 2021; whereas 72 % of renewable energy production takes place in rural areas;

Amendment  19

 

Motion for a resolution

Recital E a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	Ea. whereas rural areas are among the most affected by climate change and biodiversity loss, both economically – due to income losses in key sectors such as agriculture, forestry and tourism, which suffer as a consequence of natural disasters, water scarcity and the increasing effects of floods – and socially, as climate change poses additional direct and indirect threats to the health and well-being of rural populations;

Amendment  20

 

Motion for a resolution

Recital E b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	Eb. whereas the proper involvement of farmers in making the green transition simple and economically sustainable, as well as a reduction in bureaucracy, will be crucial;

Amendment  21

Motion for a resolution

Recital E c (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	Ec. whereas each region and Member State has to direct at least 30 % of their European Regional Development Fund allocation to Policy Objective 2 – a greener, low-carbon transition towards a net zero carbon economy and a resilient Europe;

Amendment  22

 

Motion for a resolution

Recital F

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
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;	F. whereas demographic changes do not affect all countries and regions equally, but have a greater impact on regions that are already lagging behind or facing structural difficulties, as they exacerbate existing territorial and socio-economic inequalities; whereas a differentiated approach, per region, will be important in order to accommodate flexibilities for the different needs of different regions; whereas the issue of regional disparities and uneven convergences between regions, some of which are stuck in a development trap, needs to be addressed; whereas less developed regions need special attention and support;

Amendment  23

 

Motion for a resolution

Recital G

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
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 areas13 ; whereas estimates suggest that by 2033 the population of Europe’s rural areas will have shrunk by 30 million people compared with 1993;	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 areas13; whereas estimates suggest that by 2033 the population of Europe’s rural areas will have shrunk by 30 million people compared with 1993; whereas these trends, along with a lack of infrastructure and low access to public services, contribute to the lower attractiveness of rural areas;
__________________	__________________
13 SWD(2023)0021.	13 SWD(2023)0021.

Amendment  24

 

Motion for a resolution

Recital G a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	Ga. whereas the average age of farmers in the EU is 57, reflecting an ageing agricultural sector, and whereas this highlights the urgent need to promote generational renewal in agriculture, making the farming sector more attractive to young people;

Amendment  25

Motion for a resolution

Recital G b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	Gb. whereas in some Member States, the percentage of the population living in rural areas is increasing, especially in the vicinity of towns and cities; whereas these areas are turning into ‘bedroom communities’ for larger towns and cities and, in order to fully exploit their potential and foster their development, it is vital that job creation is stimulated in these areas and investment is made in providing access to basic services, as well as transport and digital infrastructure;

Amendment  26

 

Motion for a resolution

Recital H

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
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;	H. whereas a lack of or poor access to public and private services, such as healthcare, leads to an increased risk of poorer health, and a lack of or poor access to water services, transport, digital infrastructure, internet, education, childcare services and recreational and cultural activities is particularly problematic in rural, sparsely populated, inland, mountainous, insular, border and outermost regions as places to live and work, especially for women, young people and ageing populations, and limits economic and educational opportunities, therefore exacerbating regional inequalities; whereas appropriate responses to these challenges will enable improvement in the quality of life in these areas and ultimately make the regions more attractive; whereas outermost regions’ specific conditions and geographical discontinuity require special attention of the Commission, in particular in terms of mobility;

Amendment  27

 

Motion for a resolution

Recital H a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	Ha. whereas only 47.5 % of people in rural areas have basic digital skills, and it is essential to invest in digital training and capacity building to foster the uptake of digital technologies in the agricultural sector and promote new economic opportunities in these regions;

Amendment  28

Motion for a resolution

Recital I a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	Ia. whereas, although traditionally associated with the primary sector, rural areas have the potential for diversification by way of the circular economy, sustainable tourism and the digitisation of services and value chains;

Amendment  29

 

Motion for a resolution

Recital J

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
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 3514;	J. whereas 800 farms across Europe go out of business every day, only one farm in twenty is managed by farmers below the age of 3514 and the EU lost 37 % of its farms between 2005 and 2019; whereas the ambitious goals of the green transition entail risks and opportunities for economic, social and territorial cohesion, as well as for European agriculture;
__________________	__________________
14 EU annual report 2024 on the state of regions and cities.	14 European Committee of the Regions, ‘EU annual report 2024 – The state of regions and cities’, 7 October 2024.

Amendment  30

Motion for a resolution

Recital J a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	Ja. whereas the way we produce food has shaped the landscapes that define Europe; whereas dynamic rural areas foster quality food production which, in turn, supports their economy; whereas reinvigorating these connections between food and the land and revitalising rural areas will be essential for the future of farming in Europe;

Amendment  31

Motion for a resolution

Recital J b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	Jb. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted a shift in perception among the public, who recognised the potential of rural areas as a solution to the challenges arising from crises in providing a safer, sustainable and reliable living environment;

Amendment  32

Motion for a resolution

Recital J c (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	Jc. whereas the study entitled ‘The Future of the European Farming Model’ notes that the EU could lose 6.4 million farms by 2040, falling from 10.3 million in 2016 to 3.9 million1a;
	_________________
	1a Schuh, B. et al., ‘The Future of the European Farming Model’, European Parliament Directorate-General for Internal Policies, April 2022, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2022/699620/IPOL_STU(2022)699620_EN.pdf.

Amendment  33

Motion for a resolution

Recital J d (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	Jd. whereas rural areas have the highest share (12.6 %) of young people aged 15-29 not in employment, education or training1a;
	_________________
	1a Commission communication of 27 March 2024 entitled ‘The long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas: key achievements and ways forward’ (COM(2024)0450).

Amendment  34

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 1 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	1a. Welcomes the Commission communication entitled ‘A Vision for Agriculture and Food’, which states that livestock is and will remain an essential part of EU agriculture, as it is crucial for the viability of rural areas and the preservation of rural landscapes;

Amendment  35

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 2

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
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;	2. Takes note of the 4 areas of action underpinning the rural vision and the 30 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;

Amendment  36

 

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 3

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
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;	3. Stresses the key role of rural areas in shaping the economic models and the social and territorial organisation of the various Member States, highlighting their crucial contribution in the efficient use of agricultural land, but also in the development of crafts and traditions; notes, however, that the importance of rural areas is still under-appreciated and insufficiently funded; believes that 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, resilience and social cohesion;

Amendment  37

 

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 4

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
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;	4. Asks the Commission to implement Article 174 TFEU in full, see to it that all EU policies apply the ‘do no harm to cohesion’ principle, and apply an even more decisive approach in promoting cohesion wherever possible;

Amendment  38

 

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 4 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	4a. Highlights that around 60 % of cohesion policy investments are not linked to a specific type of land, which does not allow for a specific understanding of the support targeted at rural areas; urges the Commission, with that in mind, to develop a mechanism at EU level to better monitor the contribution made by the various EU funds and policies to rural areas;

Amendment  39

 

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 4 b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	4b. Stresses the importance of having a truly effective rural proofing mechanism at EU level so as to assess the potential impact of policies and legislation on rural areas; calls on the Commission to present, by 2027, a report on the application of the rural proofing mechanism to policies and interventions at EU level, as well as the results obtained;

Amendment  40

 

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 4 c (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	4c. Calls for the Member States to promote the development and implementation of effective mechanisms for rural proofing at national level, in close cooperation with the local and regional authorities;

Amendment  41

 

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 4 d (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	4d. Notes with concern that rural areas and their specific needs are not sufficiently valued when allocating EU cohesion funds, which should significantly contribute to maintaining the vitality of these regions; reiterates that achieving the objectives outlined in the Commission’s long-term vision for rural areas up to 2040 constitutes a continuous effort, which requires strong actions and policies throughout the next programming periods and at all levels of governance; calls, therefore, on the Commission to explore the possibility of earmarking adequate resources in the next cohesion policy framework for rural areas and communities, and to explore the use of indicators that allow to better take into account growing intra-regional disparities in the area;

Amendment  42

 

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 5

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
5. Calls on the Commission to devise a rural strategy for the post-2027 programming period;	5. Reiterates its call on the Commission to develop a measurable rural strategy, including an update of the EU rural action plan, promoting the coordination and contribution of all relevant EU funds and policies to rural areas, with a view to post-2027 programming; emphasises the urgent need to include rural areas in EU strategies, particularly the incorporation of a rural dimension in relevant policies, such as budgetary, climate, digital and innovation policies, in order to achieve integrated, sustainable development; calls on the Member States to develop national and regional rural strategies, provided with appropriate funding; urges the Commission and the Member States to allocate specific resources to supporting agriculture, rural SMEs, farmers’ collective organisations – including producers’ organisations – and promoting short supply chains and local production, in order to make rural areas more competitive, resilient and attractive to young people and investors;

Amendment  43

 

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 6

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
6. Calls on the Commission to ensure a strong focus on the development of rural areas in future cohesion policy;	6. Stresses the role that all EU policies and funds, both shared and directly managed, must play in supporting rural areas, in order to ensure a harmonious development of the EU’s rural areas in their entirety, including adequate funding of rural communities, local governments and stakeholders; calls on the Commission to ensure a strong focus on the development of rural areas in future cohesion policy;

Amendment  44

 

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 6 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	6a. Emphasises the importance of ensuring adequate funding for the implementation of the long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas; calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure stronger support for rural areas in the next multiannual financial framework, including through cohesion policy, establishing the right conditions to address the specific challenges of these areas;

Amendment  45

 

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 6 b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	6b. Stresses that the EAFRD is essential, alongside cohesion policy funds, for supporting rural areas and ensuring balanced regional development, including through the promotion of economic diversification, job creation and population retention, social inclusion and the improvement of services and infrastructure; stresses the need to enhance complementarities, maximise the impact of investments in rural areas and better address regional needs to reduce administrative complexity and enable the effective implementation of multi-funded rural development projects;

Amendment  46

 

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 6 c (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	6c. Rejects, however, centralising strategies for fund management that result in the minimisation of the partnership principle and the subsidiarity principle – according to which decisions must be taken by the level most competent to carry them out, including regional and local levels; stresses the need to ensure coordination between cohesion policy and the CAP, but opposes the merging of rural development with cohesion policy, and insists on the continuation of the two-pillar structure of the CAP;

Amendment  47

 

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 7

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
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;	7. Calls on the Member States to make full use of all measures supporting rural areas in all their diversity, in particular, sparsely populated inland, mountainous, arid, insular and outermost regions, as well as regions located on the external borders of the EU, in particular those bordering Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, to secure their future and prosperity; highlights, in particular, the specific structural challenges of the outermost regions, which hinder their growth and development, and which translate into additional constraints for their rural areas; emphasises that while reversing rural depopulation is a valuable objective, ensuring that even the least populated rural areas still benefit from targeted support should remain a priority; highlights the need to pay special attention to farmers’ needs in areas facing natural constraints, as farming is often the main driver of economic development in those parts of the EU;

Amendment  48

 

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 8

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
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;	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 full involvement of local and regional authorities, as well as rural stakeholders, and calls on the Commission to widely consult with the local and regional levels on the new cohesion policy, as they can best identify current challenges and needs at regional and local level, particularly in rural areas, where greater proximity to decision-making centres is an essential element;

Amendment  49

 

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 8 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	8a. Emphasises the importance of reinforcing a decentralised model of programming and implementation of cohesion policy based on the partnership principle and multi-level governance; stresses that strengthening the implementation capacities of rural stakeholders and communities will be crucial to enable them to participate effectively in the development of rural areas, especially the most disadvantaged ones;

Amendment  50

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 8 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	8a. Acknowledges the intrinsically linked aspects of rural areas, cohesion and agriculture and calls for the new cohesion policy to enable mechanisms that would allow for rural areas to continue to build on sustainable farming, forestry and agri-food economic activities;

Amendment  51

 

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 9

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
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;	9. Highlights the need for rural areas to be able to provide high-quality public services of general interest to the population, for which they should receive sufficient and long-term structural and financial support; underlines, to that end, the essential need to provide, as well as to facilitate, access to healthcare, childcare, innovative mobility solutions, transport and connectivity services, water services, education services, digital infrastructure, and other basic services such as postal and banking services; notes in particular the need to urgently develop access in rural areas to accessibility tools for people with disabilities, to mental health services and to healthcare for women; underlines the importance of providing services tailored to the needs of teenagers; recognises the importance of ensuring that there are local schools in rural areas, and calls on the Member States to consult with the local populations concerning the closing of public schools, and to propose valid alternatives;

Amendment  52

 

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 9 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	9a. Acknowledges that the ambitious goals of the green transition entail both risks and opportunities for economic, social and territorial cohesion, as well as for European agriculture; stresses, at the same time, that promoting biodiversity in rural areas is important for safeguarding ecosystem services, enhancing climate resilience and ensuring the long-term sustainability of rural economies; reaffirms that agricultural ecosystem services play a fundamental role in society and that it is essential that they are recognised as public goods and properly financed through public support mechanisms, such as financial incentives, payments for environmental services and policies that reward sustainable practices; stresses the need for sufficient funding to promote innovative solutions, including precision farming and smart technologies; points to the importance of compensatory measures for farmers and rural businesses so that the ecological transition is fair and practical and does not lead to new socio-economic disparities; highlight that, for this transition to be successful, the full involvement and collaboration with all stakeholders, in particular farmers and foresters, will be key;

Amendment  53

 

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 10

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
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;	10. Highlights the general importance of good-condition infrastructure for all sectors, as they are interdependent, and notes the importance for key sectors in rural areas such as, in particular, agriculture, to have a functioning infrastructure of public and private services; highlights the need for investment in infrastructure development, in particular sustainable and inclusive infrastructure, and its key role in fostering economic and social growth and in reducing the gaps between rural and urban regions; stresses the need for transport systems to improve connectivity and access to basic services, for energy networks, including renewable and, where appropriate, decentralised energy networks, and for suitable digital connectivity infrastructure, as well as appropriate training possibilities to fully use these infrastructures;

Amendment  54

 

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 10 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	10a. Notes that water is vital for rural areas and for agriculture, and that cohesion policies for these areas must therefore incorporate a water perspective through an optimal mixed infrastructure plan;

Amendment  55

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 10 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	10a. Calls for a specific fund for ‘early childhood in rural areas’ to be added to the European Child Guarantee, with a view to co-financing the construction of crèches and childminding facilities, as well as collective crèches incorporating other services for children such as extracurricular activities, cultural activities and educational support;

Amendment  56

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 10 b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	10b. Calls on the Commission to review the possibility of developing a self-standing emergency fund for rural areas, agricultural SMEs and local authorities, aimed at combating the negative consequences of natural disasters; stresses the need for this financial mechanism to be made available to local governments in order to maximise the efficiency of funds used at local level in rural communities; stresses that this type of financial mechanism could be a tool for the revitalisation of agricultural production in the aftermath of natural disasters; emphasises that this new financial instrument could be made available under the policy objective of developing a greener economy;

Amendment  57

 

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 10 b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	10b. Stresses that the digital divide between rural and urban areas remains significant, given that less than 40 % of rural households benefit from fast internet (>30 Mbps), compared to around 63 % in urban area1a; calls on the Commission and the Member States to accelerate investment in rural digital infrastructure, to support the development of high-speed internet networks in order to facilitate education, telemedicine, e-commerce and remote working opportunities; draws attention to the risks of exclusion of small farms and the outermost regions from these developments and points to the need to take measures to ensure that the digital transformation and farm data collection benefit farmers; notes, in particular, that there is a need to manage risks of dependency, data management and over-indebtedness for small farmers; stresses the need for digital literacy and vocational training initiatives to support the integration of digital technologies into the rural economy;
	__________________
	1a Perpiña Castillo, C., Sulis, P., Velasco Leon, J.M. and Lavalle, C., ‘Broadband accessibility and quality connection in Europe by urban-rural typology including remoteness’, European Commission, 2021.

Amendment  58

 

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 10 c (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	10c. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to promote the use of renewable energies, based on their potential to reduce energy costs, notably the use of biomass, ensuring that it is produced without harm to ecosystems; stresses that this can provide another form of income for rural residents, in particular farmers, provided that business models produce and continue to produce tangible value in local communities, while also driving the shift towards circular economies; calls for the provision of support to energy projects that avoid negative impacts on food security, land availability and social cohesion;

Amendment  59

 

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 11

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
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;	11. Stresses that the right to stay must be recognised as an essential principle to ensure that all people can live with dignity in their regions of origin, without being forced to migrate due to lack of appropriate economic, social or environmental conditions and opportunities; stresses the importance of promoting priority policies that support young people through targeted measures designed to stem the demographic decline in rural areas, in line with the recommendations issued by Parliament in its Resolution of 23 November 2023 on harnessing talent in Europe’s regions1a, 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, as well as developing incentive programmes for the return of young people to rural areas, promoting local start-ups and tax incentives for rural companies, affordable housing, support for rural entrepreneurship and implementing remote-working policies;   1a OJ C, C/2024/4225, 24.7.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/4225/oj.

Amendment  60

 

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 11 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	11a. Emphasises that generational renewal, including in agriculture, is fundamental for the social, economic and environmental sustainability of rural areas; underlines that in order to promote farm succession and generational renewal in agriculture, it is essential to implement policies that facilitate access to land, credit and training and advisory services for newly started farms, in addition to reducing the bureaucracy associated with agricultural activity; emphasises that it is imperative to strengthen financial support and incentives for the installation of young farmers and new farmers, ensuring the sustainability and competitiveness of the agricultural sector in the long term;

Amendment  61

 

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 12

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
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;	12. Draws attention to the need for universal equal access to the high-quality skills rural inhabitants need to achieve their professional goals, and to vocational and educational training, as well as programmes tailored to emerging sectors such as renewable energy, and rural and agri-tourism, while also fostering youth-led initiatives and non-formal learning for young people in rural areas;

Amendment  62

 

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 12 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	12a. Regrets the fact that, in many fields, the work of women is currently not met with equal opportunities and conditions, and emphasises the need to foster an environment conducive to women’s entrepreneurship, employment and professional development in rural communities; highlights the importance of measures that contribute to a balance between professional and personal life, as well as measures to support all families to ensure high-quality early childhood education and care systems and parental support; draws attention to the need to support policies that facilitate women’s access to essential resources for farm development, such as access to credit, including the provision of interest-free micro-loans, agricultural subsidies and continuous professional training;

Amendment  63

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 12 b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	12b. Calls for additional support for female entrepreneurship in rural areas, including financial backing for women-led ventures in organic farming, craft industries and local services, including the provision of interest-free micro-loans;

Amendment  64

 

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 13

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
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;	13. Stresses the key role played by agriculture and the agri-food sector in food production – thereby ensuring food security in the EU – and job creation in areas with outstanding typical products that often enjoy international recognition; emphasises that the agri-food sector should be strongly supported, owing to its contribution to driving social progress and the growth and development of rural areas, in particular the most vulnerable, such as remote, mountainous areas and border and outermost regions; calls, in this regard, on the Commission and Member States to take action to mitigate the challenges that agricultural production is facing, such as the decline in the number of farms, and support fair incomes for farmers and promote competitiveness, in order to stem the desertion of these areas and encourage generational renewal; recognises the potential posed by innovative solutions and business ideas in the agricultural sector and points out the need to further support research and development, such as for new on-farm energy solutions; calls for cohesion policies to contribute to the promotion and safeguarding of existing jobs in the agri-food sector and the creation of high-quality jobs in rural areas, with adequate rights, fair incomes and proper working conditions, as well as effectively and decisively combating poverty and social exclusion in rural areas;

Amendment  65

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 13 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	13a. Stresses that family farms dominate EU agriculture, accounting for 94.8 % of all farms, and yet they face significant obstacles in accessing finance, infrastructure and markets; calls on the Commission and the Member States to implement concrete measures to support these farms by simplifying access to credit, modernising rural infrastructure and giving impetus to agricultural cooperatives;

Amendment  66

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 13 b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	13b. Emphasises that rural areas can thrive more, economically and socially, by improving the added value of farming and agri-food activities through different projects aimed at promoting locally produced food, which ultimately leads to increased demand for local products and contributes to European food security;

Amendment  67

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 13 c (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	13c. Recalls the need to support and enhance the multifunctionality of agriculture and short supply chains as drivers for local economic development; stresses that public canteens, such as school and hospital canteens, can play a significant role in the development of short agri-food supply chains;

Amendment  68

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 13 d (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	13d. Recognises that ensuring food security is one of the EU’s priorities and that it is crucial to ensure sufficient reserves, with a particular focus on strategic products such as flour and sugar, through voluntary state contracts;

Amendment  69

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 13 e (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	13e. Recognises that disparities in access to land, direct payments and support, both among and within the Member States, are key challenges that must be tackled to prevent regional decline, enable older farmers to retire with dignity, and encourage young people to enter the agricultural sector, thereby fostering the development of rural areas; calls for cohesion policy to support projects aimed at improving access to land, particularly for young and new farmers, while ensuring that funding is not allocated to projects that contradict the principle of net zero land take, in order to promote sustainable land use and safeguard rural and agricultural areas;

Amendment  70

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 13 f (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	13f. Stresses the uneven impact of the trade-in or export of Ukrainian agricultural products on farmers in individual Member States and regions, and the imbalances that arise as a consequence; highlights the need to support those farmers and those European regions that have been most adversely affected by the trade-in or export of Ukrainian agricultural products;

Amendment  71

 

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 14

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
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;	14. Recognises that tourism and traditional crafts are frequently a source of income for rural and mountainous areas, as well as insular, outermost and border regions, and for that reason believes that they should be supported within the rural economy in a way that is community-led, and in synergy with the agricultural, fishing, food and cultural sectors, encouraging cultural activities that enhance local heritage and ensuring they respect local ecosystems, traditions and social well-being; highlights that rural and agri-tourism can be a complementary activity to agriculture, offering opportunities for diversifying farm incomes and benefiting the development of rural areas, and that therefore resources should be allocated for the development of tourism and HoReCa (hotel, restaurant and café) activities;

Amendment  72

 

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 14 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	14a. Highlights the need to support increasing the number of jobs in rural areas to boost employment and demand for services; considers it necessary to promote measures that diversify the rural economy and increase competitiveness by harnessing local potential – beyond agriculture and tourism – as well as increasing the number of high-quality jobs, including by creating the necessary conditions for remote working, to ensure that rural areas can attract and retain young people;

Amendment  73

 

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 14 b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	14b. calls for the promotion of integrated regional governance approaches and governance, enhancing the links between different levels of administration and the involvement of local communities, which is crucial for an effective and participatory rural policy; highlights the central role played by community-led local development (CLLD) initiatives in maintaining and restoring vibrant and thriving local rural economies; stresses that setting a minimum allocation amount to CLLD initiatives, including the LEADER programme, under all relevant funds at EU level would contribute to stronger and more sustainable regional development; calls on the Member States to make full use of LEADER’s capacities;

Amendment  74

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 14 c (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	14c. Underlines that forests, and the entire forest-based value chain, are a crucial aspect of rural areas by providing jobs, ensuring economic welfare, storing carbon, offering health benefits and combating desertification; stresses, therefore, the need to support EU farmers and foresters, while respecting the Member States’ competence on forest-related legislation;

Amendment  75

 

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 15

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
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;	15. Considers that bureaucratic complexity and very rigid criteria often hinder the participation of small farmers, companies and municipalities, thereby limiting the impact of investments and delaying the implementation of strategic projects; highlights, in this regard, that further action should be taken to reduce administrative burdens; considers that EU financial support should be simple and accessible for small projects, which are more often the promoters of the most innovative initiatives and those with the most significant impact on the development of rural areas; calls for adequate technical assistance for smaller municipalities and cross-border, remote and rural areas that are facing new challenges;

Amendment  76

 

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 15 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	15a. Stresses the need to create better access to financial resources, capital, grants and loans, particularly for agricultural enterprises, SMEs, microenterprises, family businesses and cooperatives, which are often seen as high-risk investments; also stresses the importance of simplifying access to EU funds for farmers and entrepreneurs, particularly through increased assistance, combined with public-private cooperation; calls, insofar as possible, for the simplification at local level of contact points dealing with all funds, instead of multiple access points dependent on sectors or objectives;

Amendment  77

 

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 15 b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	15b. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to promote better regulation as a matter of priority, in order to reduce bureaucratic burdens on individuals and businesses, particularly microenterprises, agricultural SMEs and family businesses, as well as on cooperatives and citizen-led collectives;

 

 

ANNEX: ENTITIES OR PERSONS
FROM WHOM THE RAPPORTEUR HAS RECEIVED INPUT

Pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure, the rapporteur for opinion declares that she received input from the following entities or persons in the preparation of the opinion, prior to the adoption thereof in committee:

Entity and/or person

European Leader Association for Rural Development

Euromontana

Coordination of Italian Regions in Brussels

European Council of Young Farmers – CEJA

IFOAM Organics Europe

European Coordination Via Campesina (ECVC)

MIRA Network

CEE Bankwatch Network

European Association for Innovation in Local Development (AEIDL)

The list above is drawn up under the exclusive responsibility of the rapporteur for opinion.

Where natural persons are identified in the list by their name, by their function or by both, the rapporteur for opinion declares that she has submitted to the natural persons concerned the European Parliament’s Data Protection Notice No 484 (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/data-protect/index.do), which sets out the conditions applicable to the processing of their personal data and the rights linked to that processing.

 

 

 

INFORMATION ON ADOPTION
BY THE COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

Date adopted	8.4.2025
Result of final vote	+: –: 0:	44 0 2
Members present for the final vote	Arno Bausemer, Sergio Berlato, Stefano Bonaccini, Mireia Borrás Pabón, Daniel Buda, Carmen Crespo Díaz, Ivan David, Valérie Deloge, Salvatore De Meo, Csaba Dömötör, Paulo Do Nascimento Cabral, Herbert Dorfmann, Luke Ming Flanagan, Maria Grapini, Cristina Guarda, Martin Häusling, Krzysztof Hetman, Elsi Katainen, Stefan Köhler, Tomáš Kubín, Camilla Laureti, Norbert Lins, Cristina Maestre, Maria Noichl, Gilles Pennelle, André Rodrigues, Bert-Jan Ruissen, Arash Saeidi, Eric Sargiacomo, Christine Singer, Raffaele Stancanelli, Anna Strolenberg, Pekka Toveri, Jessika Van Leeuwen, Veronika Vrecionová, Thomas Waitz, Maria Walsh
Substitutes present for the final vote	Benoit Cassart, Annalisa Corrado, Ton Diepeveen, Charles Goerens, Kateřina Konečná, Ciaran Mullooly, Elena Sancho Murillo, Christine Schneider, Francesco Ventola, Marta Wcisło

 

 

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL
BY THE COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

44	+
ECR	Sergio Berlato, Bert-Jan Ruissen, Francesco Ventola, Veronika Vrecionová
ESN	Arno Bausemer
NI	Kateřina Konečná
PPE	Daniel Buda, Carmen Crespo Díaz, Salvatore De Meo, Paulo Do Nascimento Cabral, Herbert Dorfmann, Krzysztof Hetman, Stefan Köhler, Norbert Lins, Christine Schneider, Pekka Toveri, Jessika Van Leeuwen, Maria Walsh, Marta Wcisło
PfE	Valérie Deloge, Csaba Dömötör, Tomáš Kubín, Gilles Pennelle, Raffaele Stancanelli
Renew	Benoit Cassart, Charles Goerens, Elsi Katainen, Ciaran Mullooly, Christine Singer
S&D	Stefano Bonaccini, Annalisa Corrado, Maria Grapini, Camilla Laureti, Cristina Maestre, Maria Noichl, André Rodrigues, Elena Sancho Murillo, Eric Sargiacomo
The Left	Luke Ming Flanagan, Arash Saeidi
Verts/ALE	Cristina Guarda, Martin Häusling, Anna Strolenberg, Thomas Waitz

 

0	-

 

2	0
ESN	Ivan David
PfE	Mireia Borrás Pabón

 

Key to symbols:

+ : in favour

- : against

0 : abstention

 

 

INFORMATION ON ADOPTION IN COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

Date adopted	13.5.2025
Result of final vote	+: –: 0:	37 0 1
Members present for the final vote	Fredis Beleris, Gordan Bosanac, Irmhild Boßdorf, Daniel Buda, Andi Cristea, Tamás Deutsch, Christian Doleschal, Klara Dostalova, Raquel García Hermida-Van Der Walle, Gabriella Gerzsenyi, Sérgio Gonçalves, Krzysztof Hetman, Ľubica Karvašová, Elsi Katainen, Isabelle Le Callennec, Nora Mebarek, Dan-Ştefan Motreanu, Ciaran Mullooly, Elena Nevado del Campo, Andrey Novakov, Valentina Palmisano, Sabrina Repp, Marcos Ros Sempere, Antonella Sberna, Mārtiņš Staķis, Raffaele Topo, Francesco Ventola
Substitutes present for the final vote	Marie-Luce Brasier-Clain, Paulo Do Nascimento Cabral, Matthias Ecke, Sofie Eriksson, Cristina Guarda, Elena Kountoura, Denis Nesci, Jacek Protas
Members under Rule 216(7) present for the final vote	Catherine Griset, Francesco Torselli, Séverine Werbrouck

 

 

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL BY THE COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

37	+
ECR	Denis Nesci, Antonella Sberna, Francesco Torselli, Francesco Ventola
PPE	Fredis Beleris, Daniel Buda, Christian Doleschal, Paulo Do Nascimento Cabral, Gabriella Gerzsenyi, Krzysztof Hetman, Isabelle Le Callennec, Dan-Ştefan Motreanu, Elena Nevado del Campo, Andrey Novakov, Jacek Protas
PfE	Marie-Luce Brasier-Clain, Tamás Deutsch, Klara Dostalova, Catherine Griset, Séverine Werbrouck
Renew	Raquel García Hermida-Van Der Walle, Ľubica Karvašová, Elsi Katainen, Ciaran Mullooly
S&D	Andi Cristea, Matthias Ecke, Sofie Eriksson, Sérgio Gonçalves, Nora Mebarek, Sabrina Repp, Marcos Ros Sempere, Raffaele Topo
The Left	Elena Kountoura, Valentina Palmisano
Verts/ALE	Gordan Bosanac, Cristina Guarda, Mārtiņš Staķis

 

0	-

 

1	0
ESN	Irmhild Boßdorf

 

Key to symbols:

+ : in favour

- : against

0 : abstention

 

 

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• [2] Texts adopted, P10_TA(2025)0098.
• [3] OJ C 188, 30.5.2023, p. 14.
• [4] OJ C 79, 2.3.2023, p. 36.
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• [10] OJ L 166, 11.5.2021, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/694/oj.
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• [12] OJ C 298, 23.8.2018, p. 14.
• [13] OJ C 347, 9.9.2022, p. 37.
• [14] OJ C 177, 17.05.2023, p. 35.
• [15] OJ C, C/2024/4225, 24.7.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/4225/oj.
• [16] OJ C 465, 6.12.2022, p. 22.
• [17] OJ C 361, 20.9.2022, p. 2.
• [18] OJ C 11, 13.1.2020, p. 15.
• [19] OJ C 67, 8.2.2022, p. 25.
• [20] European Commission: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, ADE s.a, CCRI, OIR, Micha, E. et al., Evaluation of the impact of the CAP on generational renewal, local development and jobs in rural areas – Final report, Publications Office, 2019, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2762/364362.
• [21] OJ C 270, 13.7.2022, p. 18.
• [22] OJ C, C/2025/1703, 26.3.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/1703/oj .
• [23] OJ C 290, 29.7.2022, p. 137.
• [24] OJ C, C/2024/2658, 29.4.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/2658/oj.
• [25]  European Committee of the Regions, EU annual report 2024 – The state of regions and cities, 7 October 2024.
• [26] SWD(2023)0021.
• [27] EU annual report 2024 on the state of regions and cities.
• [28] Eurostat data 2018.