The European Commission has launched a public consultation on the Long Term Vision for Rural Areas. The consultation aims to gather a wide range of opinions on the opportunities and challenges specific to rural territories, as well as the ambitions of these territories and the means needed to achieve them. On the basis of this participatory process, the Commission intends to present a Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas from next year onwards.
The international association R.E.D. responded to this consultation. We are now looking forward to the analysis of the many responses expected, and hope that they will put forward constructive solutions for the integrated development of rural areas, in line with R.E.D.’s recommendations.
In its response, R.E.D. invited the European Commission to include the Long Term Vision for Rural Areas in a White Paper for Rural Territories and to formalise it in a European Rural Agenda, as a strategic framework.
This contribution was also an opportunity for R.E.D. to recall the structural challenges of supporting a territorialized agriculture and implementing an integrated territorial development to meet the climatic, social, food and energy challenges.
To meet these challenges, optimise the development of rural territories and provide European responses to transitions, strategic and structural objectives need to be set up:
  • Recognize the diversity and the added value of rural areas and generalize integrated development as an innovative and participatory strategy
  • Stimulate and support the territorializing of agricultural and forestry operations and their integration into local strategies
  • Facilitate training, engineering, innovation and knowledge-sharing
  • Promote and support cooperation between actors and territories.
  • Develop communication and mobility infrastructures.