The long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas: key achievements and ways forward
Date: 2024-03-27
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: EU action, EU regional policy, economic and social cohesion, regional development, regional disparity, rural development, rural population, rural region, sustainable development, sustainable mobility

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 27.3.2024  COM(2024) 450 final  REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS    The long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas: key achievements and ways forward                   {SWD(2024) 450 final} - {SWD(2024) 451 final}  
 
 
INTRODUCTION  

In June 2021, the European Commission set out a long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas up to 2040 
(LTVRA  1). President Ursula von der Leyen launched this initiative in 2019 recognising that rural 
areas are a core part of Europe’s identity and economic potential and that we need to preserve 
them and invest in their future (2). She also voiced the ambition for a just transition leaving no one 
and no place behind. In 2020, 40% of rural respondents to the public consultation on the rural vision 
said they felt left behind, 60% for those in remote rural areas. The ambition of the  Communication 
was to create a new momentum for rural areas by changing the way they are perceived and building 
new opportunities, with a stronger voice for rural communities, which are an integral part of the future 
of Europe. 

The COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine further highlighted the 
pivotal role of rural areas for Europe’s resilience, as expressed by the Council in November 2023 and 
by the European Parliament in December 2022 (3). These crises increased concerns over food security, 
strategic  autonomy,  adaptation  to  climate  change,  and  preservation  of  natural  resources,  mostly 
managed in rural areas, on which all Europeans depend. While these events enhanced opportunities 
linked to the green and digital transitions, they also exacerbated the weaknesses of the less attractive 
and connected rural communities and raised concerns from farmers, who protested early 2024 about 
the  significant  challenges  they  currently  face.  The  Communication  on  “Demographic  change  in 
Europe: a toolbox for action” pointed to the challenges related to ageing, depopulation and skills and 
labour  shortages  faced  by  many  rural  areas  (4).  It  highlighted  that  territorial  disparities  undermine 
social cohesion and trust in democratic institutions and processes in the EU, as also evidenced in the 
“geography of discontent”(5). 

The long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas (rural vision) identified 10 shared goals and 4 areas of 
actions towards stronger, connected, resilient and prosperous rural areas by 2040. To achieve these 
goals,  the  Commission  committed  to  launching  a  rural  pact  to  mobilise  public  authorities  and 
stakeholders  to  act  on the needs  and  aspirations  of  rural residents.  It  also introduced  an  EU  rural 
action plan, with 30 actions to be implemented by the Commission across a range of EU policy areas. 

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

(1)   COM (2021) 345 final 

(2)  Commission, Political guidelines for the next European Commission 2019-2024 (July 2019) 

(3)  Council of the European Union, Conclusions on the Long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas, 15631/23; European 

Parliament, Report on the long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas, 2021/2254(INI) 

(4)  COM (2023) 577 final 

(5)  Commission, Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, Rodríguez-Pose, A. et al, The geography of EU 
the  European  Union,  2023. 

trap,  Publications  Office  of 

the  regional  development 

discontent  and 
https://doi.org/10.2776/164290 

 
 
 
1.  NEW EVIDENCE UNDER THE FOUR ACTION AREAS 

The  staff  working  document  (SWD)  accompanying  the  LTVRA(6)  included  a  comprehensive 
analysis of the situation and diversity of rural areas. Most of it remains up to date, but new datasets 
bring further insights that shed new light on the four action areas of the rural vision. Below 
are examples of EU-level indicators for rural areas and regions (7). According to latest data on the 
EU population from 2021, 29.6% of the EU population lives in rural grid cells (1km2), against 
30.3% in 2011, a slight drop of 2.6 million people (8).  

Stronger rural areas  

Figure 1 Change in population share in p.p. by age group 2019-2022 by urban-rural typology 

Ageing rural regions  
The  population  over  65  in  rural  regions  has 
increased  by  1.1  pp  (0.84  million)  while  the 
younger  and  working  age  population  cohorts 
decreased.  The  average  EU  population  age  is 
increasing,  but  rural  regions  are  ageing 
faster,  due  to  lower  natural  growth  and  net 
migration. 
Source:  Eurostat 
table: 
urt_pjangrp3), JRC calculations based on the 
provisional population census grid 2021 

(online 

data 

Figure 2 Evolution of trust in the EU institutions by degree of urbanisation 

Empowering communities 

Rural residents are more likely to trust local 
and  regional  authorities  (61%)  than  their 
national government (31%) or the EU (47%).  

Source:  Rural  observatory,  trust  in  the  EU 
institutions,  national,  regional  and  local 
authorities  

(6)  SWD (2021) 166 final 

(7)  https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Territorial_typologies_manual_-

_degree_of_urbanisation 

(8)   The 2021 census has modified the classification of municipalities and regions leading to changes in the share of 
rural population at different levels, compared to the figures in the LTVRA  Communication (2011 census).  This 
figure  is  based  on  the  provisional  2021  population  census  grid  data.  https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-
explained/index.php?title=Population_and_housing_census_2021_-_population_grids&stable=1. 
final 
validated population census grid data will be available in June 2024. 

The 

2 

Age  < 20 -0.2 -0.1  20-64   ≥ 65 -0.4 -0.8   0.7 -0.   1    1.1  Change in percentage points  Predominantly urban regions   Intermediate regions   Predominantly rural regions  -0.2 9 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 30    Cities    Towns and suburbs   Rural areas Population (%)  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Connected rural areas 

Figure 3 Evolution of broadband download speed by degree of urbanisation 

improved 

Improving digital connectivity  
Broadband  data  shows  that  the  situation  has 
substantially 
in  rural  areas. 
However,  the  average  downloading  speed  in 
rural areas is still far below urban areas. 
Source:  Rural  observatory,  broadband  speed 
fixed networks  

Figure 4 Individuals with basic or above overall digital skills in 2023 by degree of urbanisation 

Enhancing digital skills 
The number of people with basic digital 
skills in rural areas is improving, but the gap 
compared to cities remains the same as in 
2021, 15 pp. below urban areas. 

Source:  Eurostat 
isoc_sk_dskl_i21) 

(online  data 

table: 

Resilient rural areas  

Figure 5 Renewable energy production and potential by degree of urbanisation 

Rural  areas  powering 
transition  

the 

energy 

72%  of  the  production  of  renewable  energy 
takes  place  in  rural  areas,  which  will  have  a 
strong role in the energy transition. Rural areas 
could produce most of the renewable energy in 
the EU (78% of the untapped potential). 
Source:  Perpiña  Castillo  (et  al.),  Renewable 

energy production and potential in EU Rural Areas, POEU, Luxembourg, 2024, JRC135 612 

3 

70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 2023  Cities    Towns and suburbs    Rural areas 62.5 15% 47.5 53.2 Population (%) 6 % 22 % 3.5 %       72 %  Cities    Towns and suburbs    Rural areas 18.1 % Potential 78.4 % Current production  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 6 NEET (15-29) gender gap analysis in pp. by degree of urbanisation 

Closing the gender gap 
Rural areas have the highest share (12.6%) of 
young  people  aged  15–29  neither 
in 
employment  nor  in  education  and  training 
(NEET).  Even  if  the  situation  has  improved, 
the NEET rate for young women in rural areas 
in  2022  was  14.9%  compared  to  10.5%  for 
males (4.4 pp. gender gap). The NEET rate for 
young  women  in  rural  areas  is  the  highest 
compared to the other territories (2022).  
Source:  Eurostat 
edat_lfse_29) 

(online 

table: 

data 

Prosperous rural areas 

Figure 7 Employment by economic sector in 2021 by urban-rural typology  

A diversified rural economy 
The primary sector in rural regions remains 
important  (11%  of  employment  compared  to 
1% in urban and 5% in intermediate regions); 
however  the  secondary  and  tertiary  sectors 
play a dominant role, with a slight decrease of 
the  primary  sector  (-1%  between  2018  and 
2021).  
Source:  Eurostat 
nama_10r_3empers). 

(online 

table: 

data 

Figure 8 Shares of agricultural land and forest and natural areas by degree of urbanisation 

Rural areas are key for food security and 
natural resources 

Rural areas host most land for agriculture (77% 
- 134 million ha) and forests and natural areas 
(79%  -  148  million  ha).  43%  of  land  in  rural 
areas  is  agricultural  and  47%  is  forests  and 
natural areas, forestry being key for many rural 
economies since most forest-dominant areas are 
affected  by  demographic  challenges.  The 
contribution  of  forests  and  the  forest-based 
sector  is  crucial  to  achieving  resilient  and 
prosperous rural areas by 2040. 
Source:  Rural  observatory,  agricultural  land 
and forest and natural areas  

4 

90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Cities Towns and suburbs             Rural areas  Agricultural land   Forest and natural areas Land (%)  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2.  LOOKING BACK AT 30 MONTHS OF IMPLEMENTATION  

2.1.  How do EU policies contribute to rural areas?  

2.1.1.  Common agricultural policy (CAP) 

The 2023-2027 CAP provides Member States with a flexible legal framework to support rural areas 
through CAP strategic plans (CSPs) drawn up in line with the partnership principle (with regional 
and  local  authorities  and  economic  and  social  partners  actively  involved).  The  Commission 
assessed  the  joint  efforts  of  the  28  CSPs  on,  among  others,  employment,  growth,  and  local 
development  in  rural  areas,  drawing  on  a  mapping  study  of  the  CSPs  for  2023-2027.  The 
assessment includes a deliverable on CSPs’ contribution to the objectives of the rural vision (9), 
focusing  on  interventions  for  rural  areas  beyond  farming.  Member  States  used  mostly  three 
interventions  to  support  rural  areas  beyond  farming:  (i)  investments  (off-farm  and 
infrastructure); (ii) cooperation (mainly LEADER); and (iii) creation of rural businesses as part 
of installation aid. The funding allocated to the relevant parts of these three instruments totals EUR 
24.6 bn, or 8% of the total CAP financial allocation (national co-financing and top-ups included), 
that contributes directly to rural areas beyond farming, while indirectly the whole CAP contributes 
widely through support to farming. 

These instruments are used to support all action areas of the rural vision (stronger, connected, 
resilient, prosperous). While some Member States chose to support social services, natural parks, 
rural mobility systems or business creation in other sectors than farming, most CAP plans limit 
themselves to a few interventions, in particular LEADER.  

Essential to empower rural communities, LEADER local development strategies (LDS), are the 
main CSP tool used to respond to multiple rural needs in areas such as employment, social inclusion 
or services. Support for ‘smart villages’ (10) within and outside LEADER is expected to contribute 
to unlock the potential of digital, social and technological innovation in rural areas. Several plans 
incentivise  participation  of  young  people  and  women  in  LEADER,  contributing  to  address 
generation  renewal  and  gender  equality  issues.  However,  the  absolute  amounts  assigned  to 
LEADER (EUR 7.7 bn total financial allocation for 2023-2027) did not increase compared to the 
previous  period.  With  a  rural  population  coverage  increased  from  61  to  65%  and  decreased 
contributions from other interventions, LEADER is expected to do more with less. 

Beyond LEADER, the assessment of the 28 CSP shows that some plans introduced or increased 
their efforts to address needs related to the accessibility of rural areas, better basic services and 
infrastructure, but the level of ambition has fallen overall, in particular for digital connectivity 
and transport. Planned actions for economic development include investing in tourism, the bio-
economy and social services on top of processing and marketing and creating businesses related 
to agriculture and forestry, with an overall contribution to job growth that remains to be assessed. 

Interventions supporting farmers contribute to the  resilient and prosperous  action areas of the 
rural  vision,  which  highlight  the  importance  of  sustainable  food  production  and  supporting 
generation renewal. Income support, including in areas facing natural constraints, helps to maintain 
agriculture, including in remote areas, preserving jobs, slowing down land abandonment and 
depopulation.  Beyond  farming,  the  study  concludes  that  areas  such  as  rural  business  and 
innovation, connectivity or social inclusion would deserve greater attention. 

(9)  COM (2023) 707 final; Ecorys, Metis, and Agrosynergy, Mapping and analysis of CAP strategic plans, Assessment 
of joint efforts for 2023-2027, 2023; Ecorys, Metis, and Agrosynergy,  Taking stock of how CAP strategic plans 
contribute to the objectives of the long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas, 2023. 

(10)  https://agriculture.ec.europa.eu/common-agricultural-policy/rural-development/supporting-smart-village-

strategies_en  

5 

 
 
2.1.2.  Cohesion policy  

In  2021-2027,  cohesion  policy  provides  support  to  rural  areas  through  its  mission  to  reduce 
disparities  between  the  levels  of  development  of  regions.  This  support  is  wide-ranging,  spans 
across all policy objectives (POs) and the areas of action of the rural vision and goes well beyond 
interventions physically based in rural areas. Support is channelled through integrated territorial 
development  strategies  designed  and  implemented  by  respective  territorial  authorities, 
strengthening the economic and social fabric of rural areas.  

Cohesion policy interventions through all policy objectives provide support to rural areas. What is 
more,  in  2021-2027,  the  European  Regional  and  Development  Fund  (ERDF)  has  a  specific 
investment  objective  for  “integrated  development  in  rural  and  coastal  regions”,  under  specific 
objective  5.2,  for  which  18  Member  States  have  programmed  allocations.  Indeed,  as  cohesion 
policy  operates  under  shared  management,  Member  States  are  the  ones  devising  place-based 
strategies and allocating funding accordingly.  

Cohesion policy targets predominantly “less developed” and “transition” regions. These typically 
have a lower population density and host cities and towns of a smaller size. Moreover, most rural 
regions  are  located  in  these  “less  developed”  and  “transition”  regions.  Cohesion  policy 
interventions have wide territorial impacts (i.e. they cannot be circumscribed to a small area within 
administrative boundaries) and it is therefore difficult to attribute its actions to one specific type of 
territory. 

The key policy objective for ensuring targeted funding to develop rural areas is policy objective 5 
(PO5) ‘Europe closer to citizens’. Besides this new place-based, cross-cutting PO5, the other four 
thematic  policy  objectives  also  contribute  to  rural  development,  notably  through  territorial 
instruments-backed  interventions.  Following  the  fourfold  structure  of  the  rural  action  plan:  (i) 
“Stronger rural areas” are targeted by POs 1 (Smarter Europe) and 4 (Social Europe), e.g. Smart 
specialisation Strategies including priorities linked to agri-food and bioeconomy; (ii) “Connected 
rural areas” are targeted by POs 3 (Connected Europe) and 1 (Smarter Europe), e.g. infrastructure 
to ensure connecting remote areas without access to very-high-capacity, high-speed broadband; 
(iii) “Resilient rural areas” by POs 4 and 2 (Greener Europe), e.g. support in renewable energies 
and biodiversity conservation; and (iv) “Prosperous rural areas” by PO1, e.g. support to SMEs 
in machinery, food processing and logistics. 

Support to rural areas does not only come from investments based therein, but importantly as well 
from wide-ranging interventions, including those aimed at strengthening urban-rural interactions. 
Rural  areas  also  benefit  from  support  to  small  urban  areas,  which  are  numerous  and 
geographically  distributed.  Small  urban  areas  act  as  anchor  points  and  infrastructure  and 
services  hubs  for  rural  areas,  through  economic  and  social  interactions,  labour  flows, 
connectivity  and  environmental  linkages,  all  elements  which  can  be  strategically  supported  for 
cohesion PO5 and using integrated territorial instruments. 

To  name  some  examples:  the  “Integrated  health  and  social  care”  project  in  Banská  Bystrica 
(Slovakia)  shows  how  cohesion  policy  funding  (ERDF  and  the  European  Social  Fund  -  ESF) 
contributes to rural development. Here, an Agency of Integrated Care for Elderly was established 
by an association of villages and small towns together with community-based care centres, in co-
creation with local stakeholders (the project will continue in the current programming period in 
several microregions). In Italy, the “national strategy for inner areas” identified pilot areas (mostly 
rural), defined bottom-up their local strategy and funded interventions linked to energy efficiency, 
social  infrastructure, sustainable mobility  and  digitalisation.  The  initiative  also continues in  the 
2021-2027 programming period.  

6 

 
2.1.3.  Other policies 

The CAP and cohesion policy complement a wide range of other EU funds and policies that 
contribute  to  the  rural  vision’s  objectives.  The  SWD  linked  to  the  LTVRA  Communication 
described  how  EU  policies  contribute  to  e.g.  social  inclusion,  gender  equality,  climate  and 
environment,  energy,  fisheries  and  aquaculture,  animal  welfare,  mobility,  digitalisation, 
neighbourhood and enlargement, education, health, culture, industry or competition. 

The contribution of various programmes such as Horizon Europe, Connecting Europe Facility, 
the Single Market programme and ERASMUS is also visible in the description of the actions of 
the EU rural action plan, which seeks to mainstream rural concerns across these EU policies. The 
Resilience and Recovery Facility and EURI Funds also play an important role (11). In addition, the 
Technical  Support  Instrument  (TSI)  can  provide  support  for  the  design  and  implementation  of 
reforms in rural development in the EU Member States and regions. 

Currently  there is  no  comprehensive  source indicating  and  quantifying the extent  to  which 
these funds contribute to rural areas. The European Parliament and the Council suggested to 
work towards a clearer identification and monitoring of the contribution of EU instruments to rural 
areas in the future.  

2.2.  Where are we with the implementation of the EU rural action plan? 

The LTVRA introduced an EU rural action plan that includes 24 thematic actions, articulated 
around  the  four  action  areas  of  the  vision,  and  six  horizontal  actions.  The  overview  below  is 
complemented by detailed information available in the attached staff working document (SWD). 

2.2.1.  Thematic actions 

2.2.1.1. Stronger rural areas 

Built on expert work (12), the rural revitalisation platform (13) launched in June 2023 provides a 
space to collaborate and access resources of specific interest to depopulating rural areas. The policy 
lab “Taking action to tackle rural depopulation” (14) with 100 participants, 20 good practices, 
and the field trips of the High-level rural policy forum in Sigüenza (Castilla-La Mancha, Spain) 
further supported the flagship action with knowledge and in-person exchanges. 

Over EUR 250 million of investments in over 60 research and innovation (R&I) projects under 
Horizon Europe in 2021-2024 helped to enhance rural innovation. The ‘Startup village forum’ 
raised the understanding of characteristics and drivers for rural innovation. 

The  SmartRural21  and  SmartRural27 projects  developed  guidance  to  support the  emergence  of 
smart  villages  approaches,  design  and  implement  supportive  policies  and  offered  networking 
events  and  ideas  for  smart  solutions.  The  EU  CAP  network  organised  several  events  and 
reflections for LEADER, including a subgroup on “LEADER and territorial development” and 
workshops that helped demonstrate the added value of LEADER, understand difficulties around 
multi-funded LEADER and increase the use of simplified cost options. 

The ongoing “Study on competition for land use and sustainable farming” will, by the end of 
2024, increase knowledge on the impacts that sectoral developments have on land use in EU’s rural 

(11)  Estimated  shares  of  RRF  funds  contributing  to  the  development of  rural  and  remote  areas  under  the  social  and 
territorial  cohesion  pillar  are  available  at:  https://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/recovery-and-resilience-
scoreboard/social.html  

(12)  https://ec.europa.eu/enrd/rural-revitalisation_en.html  

(13)  https://ruralpact.rural-vision.europa.eu/rural-revitalisation_en  

(14)  https://rural-vision.europa.eu/events/taking-action-tackle-rural-depopulation-2023-06-29_en  

7 

 
 
areas. Attention to rural youth progressed through inclusion measures available to Member States 
under  Erasmus+  and  the  European  Solidarity  Corps.  13  000  activities  to  “move  rural  youth 
forward” took place  during  the  European  Year of  Youth  and  the  EU-Council of  Europe  Youth 
Partnership developed a rural work stream under which they conducted a study on policy responses 
to rural youth challenges. 

2.2.1.2. Connected rural areas 

Investments for a total of EUR 23.5 billion in grants and updated State aid rules are improving 
digital  connectivity  in  areas  where  markets  fail  to  deliver.  Broadband  coverage  with  gigabit 
compatible technologies increased by 8.1 p.p. between June 2021 and June 2022, reaching 45% of 
rural households mid-2022. The new broadband competence offices network support facility, 
setup  in  2022,  has  developed  capacities  of  administrations  and  stakeholders.  Moreover, 
EUR 100 million were invested in R&I for agricultural and rural digitalisation under Horizon 
Europe in 2021-2024. 

Physical connectivity also benefits from the European rural mobility network that connects rural 
municipalities working on mobility solutions created by the EU funded SMARTA-NET project, 
alongside tools and guidelines. Rural citizens in urban peripheries should benefit from increased 
attention on urban-rural linkages in accordance with the new urban mobility framework adopted in 
2021 and new sustainable urban mobility plans. 

2.2.1.3. Resilient rural areas  

Since June 2022, 27 rural energy communities benefitted from technical assistance via the rural 
energy  communities  advisory  hub  (RECAH),  integrated  in  the  newly  founded  energy 
communities  facility.  As  part  of  the  ‘Mission  Soil’,  over  EUR 300 million  invested  in  projects 
helped to enhance soil health in Europe, including by activating participation of rural communities 
in living labs. A new system of certification of carbon removals incentivises carbon farming. 

The implementation of the European care strategy supports social resilience of rural communities. 
The  Commission  also  cast  the  spotlight  on  gender  equality  in  a  dedicated  EU  CAP  network 
workshop and launched a new study on the working conditions of agricultural workers (results 
by mid-2025). The European Child Guarantee for which all Member States had submitted their 
action plans by 2023, aims to ensure that socially excluded rural children have access to at least 
one healthy meal at school. Besides, EU-funded research projects aim to enhance knowledge on 
migrants’  integration  in  rural  areas (15),  and  measures  to  ensure  actual  access  to  facilities  to 
people with disabilities living in rural areas were put in place. 

2.2.1.4. Prosperous rural areas 

Rural entrepreneurship was supported by promoting rural retail and via the Social Economy action 
plan (SEAP).  Under  this  plan, the  Commission  encouraged  Member  States to develop a  social 
economy  framework,  published  good  practices  on  social  economy  in  rural  areas,  supported 
capacity  building  for  social  economy  in  rural  areas  under  the  Single  Market  programme  (four 
initiatives supported) and the social economy regions initiative, showcasing funding opportunities.  

The  Youth  Guarantee  and  the  European  Education  Area  aim  to  support  formal  education, 
training  and  employment  opportunities  in  rural  areas.  Since  2021,  Member  States  kept 
implementing  the  reinforced  Youth  Guarantee  at  all  levels.  The  European  School  Education 
platform and the online community for teacher eTwinning contains dedicated content on school 
education in rural and remote areas, including good practices, articles, and expert opinions.  

(15)  https://rural-vision.europa.eu/action-plan/resilient_en#supporting-the-inclusion-of-migrants-in-rural-areas  

8 

 
 
Moreover, the development of geographical indications (171 adopted since June 2021) and the 
employment  and  economic  development  potential  they  represent  in  rural  areas  will  be  further 
supported through the adoption of a new Regulation on geographical indications for agricultural 
products which is foreseen in spring 2024. A dedicated EU CAP Network thematic group explored 
the need for networking between forest-dominant municipalities. 

2.2.2.  Horizontal actions  

2.2.2.1.Improving and valorising rural data and statistics 

The Commission increased the number of datasets available for rural areas, valorised in the 
new publication “Rural Europe”. The 2021 EU census programme, to be published mid-2024, 
will provide for the first time data at 1 km2 grid level, allowing to analyse population trends across 
flexible geographical boundaries. The proposal for a new Regulation on European Statistics on 
population and housing (16) addresses statistical gaps for rural areas with effective provisions to 
gather  more  data  such  as  intra-regional  migration.  The  Commission  is  also  working  on  pan-
European geospatial datasets that enable the production of statistics for rural areas on themes 
such as access to services. 

The Commission has launched the EU rural observatory in 2022, a data platform (17) to facilitate 
understanding on how rural areas perform to inform policymaking. By displaying, producing and 
analysing data and indicators related to the economic, social and environmental dimensions, the 
observatory  provides  access  to  a  range  of indicators  and  visualisations regarding  rural  areas.  It 
likewise provides thematic analyses via scientific publications on prominent rural topics, such as 
remote rural areas, functional rural areas and renewable energies in 2023. 

The Commission has developed a methodology to delineate functional rural areas that aim to 
map spaces in which rural inhabitants live their daily lives. The added value of this methodology 
is to offer a scale of statistical and data analysis which enhances comparability by evening area 
sizes compared to municipalities and NUTS3 regions and to offer a relevant scale to analyse service 
provision.  Published  as  one  of  the  rural  observatory  analytical  papers  in  November  2023,  the 
cartography (18)  and  its  parameters  are  open  for  debate  with  statistical  offices  and  European 
stakeholders. 

2.2.2.2.Creating and implementing a rural proofing mechanism 

The Commission integrated rural proofing in the Communication on Better Regulation adopted 
in April 2021 (19). It asks services to consider potential territorial (including rural) impacts when 
relevant when elaborating new legislative initiatives and collect evidence from various types of 
territories, including rural areas. The Commission work programme for 2022 (20) also recalled 
the importance of territorial impact assessments (TIA) and rural proofing. Echoing the Territorial 
agenda 2030, the Communication on the eighth cohesion report (21) further called to integrate a 
territorial  lens  in  EU  policies.  The  Better  Regulation  Toolbox  includes  a  TIA  necessity  check 
through  which  the  Commission  can  verify  the  need  to  conduct  a  TIA,  and  a  set  of  tools  and 
methodologies. While the TIA tool can be powerful, it has proven to be resource-intensive (in time 
and skills) and had a lower uptake than initially expected. The Commission undertook a TIA in 

(16)  COM (2023) 31 final 

(17)  https://observatory.rural-vision.europa.eu/  

(18)  https://observatory.rural-vision.europa.eu/thematic-analyses/functional-rural-areas?lng=en  

(19)  COM (2021) 219 final 

(20)  COM (2021) 645 final 

(21)  COM (2022) 34 final 

9 

 
 
2022, and, in 2023, territorial impacts were explored for two initiatives, concluding to the likely 
absence of territorial impacts (22).  

In addition to the possibility of identifying rural impacts in the context of  TIA, according to the 
Commission's better regulation guidelines for legislative initiatives, the Commission explored the 
rural  implications  of  new  non-legislative  initiatives  and  in  numerous  cases  the  aspects 
concerning the rural communities were successfully and positively taken into account. 

2.2.2.3.Creating a toolkit on rural funds 

In December  2023, the Commission  completed the design of the rural toolkit on EU funding 
opportunities for rural areas. It centralises information in one dashboard for local authorities, 
stakeholders,  project  holders  and  managing  authorities.  The  toolkit  also  provides  inspirational 
solutions and examples of territorial and local development strategies and projects to make full use 
of the 2021-2027 EU budget opportunities. 

2.3.  The launch and development of the rural pact  

The Commission launched the rural pact in December 2021, by inviting all 
stakeholders who support the 10 shared goals of the rural vision to join the 
new  “rural  pact  community”.  Participatory  discussions  with  EU 
institutions  and  bodies (23)  and  networks  steering  the  European  Rural 
Parliament (ERP24), alongside consultations of the rural pact community led 
to  the  endorsement  of  the  rural  pact  concept (25)  at  the  first  “Rural  pact 
conference” in June 2022 in Brussels. The pact created as a result is a formal 
space and framework to boost cooperation between national, regional and 
local  governments,  civil  society  organisations,  businesses,  academics  and 
citizens to act towards the shared goals of the rural vision.  

The Commission further put the rural pact into practice by: 

• 

• 

• 

establishing in December 2022 the “Rural Pact Support Office” (RPSO) which provides 
networking and facilitation services for the community; 
creating the “Rural Pact Coordination Group” (RPCG), which acts as the governance 
body steering the development of the rural pact; 
launching  the  “rural  pact  community  platform”  (RPCP) (26)  in  June  2023,  an  online 
collaborative tool supporting community interaction. 

In line with its three objectives, since 2022, the rural pact has amplified rural voices by offering, 
through nine events (27) a new space to discuss issues of importance for the future of rural areas 
across  all  policy  domains  and  build  specific  ideas  for  action  and  recommendations  for  policy 
improvement.  The  ‘High-level  rural  policy  forum  -  Shaping  the  future  of  rural  areas’, 
organised in September 2023 under the pact with the Spanish presidency of the Council has been 
instrumental in the adoption of Council conclusions on the rural vision in November 2023. Several 
national or regional governments have already adopted they own pacts or agendas inspired by the 

(22)  Proposal for a revised waste framework Directive COM (2023) 420 final and proposal for a Directive on business 

in Europe: framework for income taxation (BEFIT) COM (2023) 532 final 

(23)  European Parliament (EP), Committee of the Regions (CoR), European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), 

and EU Council presidency (or trio of presidencies for the Rural Pact Coordination Group). 

(24)  European LEADER association for rural development (ELARD), European Rural Communities Alliance (ERCA) 

and Partnership for Rural Europe (PREPARE). 

(25)  https://agriculture.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2022-07/rural-pact-proposal_en.pdf  

(26)  https://ruralpact.rural-vision.europa.eu  

(27)  https://ruralpact.rural-vision.europa.eu/events/all_en 

10 

 
 
EU  rural  pact  (e.g.  Czechia,  Catalonia).  Furthermore,  with  its  30  members  representing  EU 
institutions  and  bodies  (23),  the  organisations  steering  the  ERP  and  civil  society,  business,  and 
research and academia, the RPCG promotes a greater consideration of rural areas across thematic 
domains and governance levels. 

The rural pact has also structured collaboration and mutual learning for a community which 
has grown from 1 300 to 2 350 members in 2023, coming from all sectors and parts of society, 
many of them new to EU-level rural networking, reflecting the holistic approach of the pact. The 
new  platform  visited  by  around  1 500  people  monthly,  allows  its  560  users  to  access  a  useful 
resource database, collaborate in seven ‘community groups’ and keep up to date with interesting 
developments.  Moreover,  the  pact  has  linked  and  enhanced  knowledge  of  rural  actors  across 
Europe  through  40  good  practices,  four  good  practice  webinars  and  the  establishment  of 
strategic links with 20 other EU networks. 

Finally, the pact has triggered 120 commitments to act for rural areas coming from organisations 
(70%) or individuals (30%) and covering a broad range of themes (28). Activities in 2023 put a 
special  focus  on  encouraging  national  and  regional  authorities  to  act,  leading  to  a  policy  brief 
outlining seven ingredients for a successful rural pact implementation in Member States (see 3.2). 

3.  LOOKING FORWARD 

3.1.  Consolidating achievements in implementing the EU rural action plan 

While all actions in the EU rural action plan are underway, some need extra efforts to be completed 
and  others  need  continuity  to  achieve  their  objectives.  The  accompanying  SWDs  provide  an 
overview  of  the  state  of  play  of  each  action  and  of  next  steps  envisaged  for  those  that  are 
continuing (29), alongside a reviewed version of the action plan.  

3.1.1.  Acting for stronger, connected, resilient and prosperous rural areas 

As part of the actions for  stronger rural areas, the Commission  will further develop the rural 
revitalisation  platform  with  new functionalities  and  update the  resource  section in  2024.  It  will 
keep investing in new research and innovation projects through Horizon Europe work programmes 
2025-2027 and linking rural innovators across Europe with the next startup village forum in 2024. 
A  study  on  rural  youth  participation  in  ERASMUS+  will  produce  recommendations  on 
opportunities for learning for rural youth in 2024. 

When it comes to actions for connected rural areas, the Commission will finalise the SMARTA-
NET project with a final conference in autumn 2024. It will also keep improving the regulatory 
environment to incentivise investments in digital infrastructures in underserved (mainly rural) areas 
and continue supporting innovation in digital transformation for agriculture and other rural sectors. 

To advance towards resilient rural areas, work on rural energy communities will continue under 
the rural energy community facility launched in 2024. The number of living labs working jointly 
to enhance soil health under the ‘Mission Soil’ will increase through calls for projects in 2025-
2027. In addition, in 2024 the Commission will prioritise the development of methodologies for 
the rewetting of peatland. 

(28)   https://ruralpact.rural-vision.europa.eu/commitments_en  

(29)  The elements in Sections 3.1 and 3.2 reflect the intention of the Commission at the time of adoption, which may 

have to be reconsidered in light of the resources available for implementation. 

11 

 
 
 
For prosperous rural areas, the Commission will continue the work on the social economy and 
formal education. The local social economy contact points will offer peer-to-peer support in rural 
regions and the review of the progress made by Member States in the Youth Guarantee and the 
European Education Area interim evaluation planned in 2025 will address barriers to equity, such 
as the rural-urban gap. 

3.1.2.  Keep improving and valorising rural data and the rural observatory 

The  Commission  will  keep  improving  rural  statistics.  Following  the  publication  of  the  2021 
census in 2024, the Commission will publish Statistics Explained articles with new research on 
rural areas. The Commission is also preparing the  implementation of the new framework on 
European statistics on population and housing and continues the work with geospatial data, the 
datasets available for rural areas and the publication “Rural Europe”.  

The Commission is committed to continue its support for the EU rural observatory in the future, 
with the objective to keep providing research and data on rural areas. In 2024, the focus will be on 
interactions between economy and demography, housing and energy efficiency. 

The  Commission  will  continue  developing  the  concept  of  functional  rural  areas,  taking  into 
account inputs from stakeholders and international organisations including the World Bank and the 
OECD, which are engaged in working on functional geographies for both urban and rural areas. It 
will assess the usefulness of this territorial typology for statistical purposes and for policy purposes 
in the longer term. 

3.1.3.  Consolidate rural proofing 

Piloting  rural  proofing  for  2  years  highlighted  the  need  to  raise  awareness,  improve  data 
availability,  better  resource  the  process  and  improve  coordination.  The  Commission  will  keep 
using the rural proofing mechanism for its own regulatory process, which will progressively 
result in improved skills on integrating rural issues in EU policymaking across departments. Rural 
proofing will benefit from improving rural statistics and data and from developing the EU rural 
observatory.  The  Commission  will  also  keep  up  dialogue  with  Member  States  on  developing 
rural proofing mechanisms at national and regional levels, building on the framework developed 
by the European Network for  Rural  Development thematic group on rural proofing at national, 
regional and local levels (30) and on Council conclusions calling to i) strengthen rural proofing at 
all levels (3) and ii) ‘make wide use of TIA’ in legislative proposals to address territorial impacts 
where relevant (31). The Commission will also keep interacting with international organisations, 
such as the OECD and the World Health Organisation on rural proofing. 

3.1.4.  Track progress towards the rural vision goals 

The  Commission  will  explore the possibility  of  a  simple  indicator  system including  relevant 
indicators for the four action areas of the rural vision and its 10 shared goals, taking as baseline 
what has been established in the SWD accompanying the LTVRA communication. The indicator 
system will build on what already exists under various EU policies contributing to the vision, on 
the work conducted under the EU rural observatory, on rural statistics and on Horizon Europe 
projects working on improving rural data, such as RUSTIK and GRANULAR. The indicators used 
should be available for the whole of Europe and help to periodically measure progress towards the 
rural vision up to 2040. 

(30)  https://ec.europa.eu/enrd/enrd-thematic-work/long-term-rural-vision/TG-rural-proofing_en_en.html  

(31)  Council of the European Union, Conclusions on the future of cohesion policy, 16230/23, November 2023. 

12 

 
 
 
3.2.  Consolidating the rural pact  

The  Commission  will  keep  supporting  the facilitation  of  the rural  pact  through  the  Rural  Pact 
Support Office (RPSO) and developing the rural pact community platform further (29). 

The  Commission  will improve the  interactive features  of  the collaborative platform  in  2024.  A 
multiplier toolkit will help community members raise awareness of the pact and platform to non-
community members. 

In  2024,  the  priority  of  implementing  the  pact  at  national  and  regional  levels  will  be 
complemented by focusing on building a stronger ownership and participation of local actors 
in the rural pact. 

Efforts made to bring the Member States on board with the rural pact in 2023 will be sustained, 
building on the momentum brought by the November 2023 Council Conclusions on the rural vision 
which encourage Member States to engage in the rural pact and design holistic strategies and 
action  plans  for  rural  areas.  The  policy  brief  “Making  the  rural  pact  happen  in  Member 
States” (32) provides national and regional authorities with guidance on how they could enhance 
governance  and  support  for  rural  areas  through  holistic  approaches,  fund  coordination,  greater 
participation and capacity building. The RPSO will develop a first set of “country pages” to show 
how the ingredients of successful rural pact implementation unfold in national contexts and inspire 
action from other Member States through the promotion of good practices. The Commission will 
also continue to cooperate with international organisations engaging with EU Member States on 
rural policy such as the OECD, the World Health Organisation and UN Habitat. 

The Rural Pact Coordination Group (RPCG) will continue to play its role and, together with 
the RPSO and its national experts, will raise awareness of rural issues among national authorities 
and EU institutions. Based on the considerations agreed by the group, the RPCG members will 
undertake actions to further steer and develop the rural pact. 

The RPSO will continue to engage in 2024 with local-level actors through a dedicated policy lab 
on how to translate the rural pact into action at local level, good practices and working closely 
with the community, in particular members who have committed to act. Good practice webinars 
will explore opportunities around specific themes of interest to the community, in partnership with 
relevant networks.  

The next rural pact conference at the beginning of 2025 will seek to assemble local actors to 
discuss achievements, developments in key thematic domains, ways forward for the rural pact and 
ideas on the post-2027 EU policies. 

(32)  https://ruralpact.rural-vision.europa.eu/publications/making-rural-pact-happen-member-states_en 

13 

 
 
 
3.3.  Reflecting on how to enhance support for rural areas in the future 

3.3.1.  Stakeholders and institutions contributions 

The  LTVRA  Communication  generated  a  rich  and  fruitful  dialogue  and  suggestions  on  how 
support to rural areas could be enhanced in the future. Proposals come from: 

• 

inter-institutional dialogue on the LTVRA: the Committee of the Regions (CoR) and the 
European  Economic  and  Social  Committee  (EESC)  issued  opinions  early  2022 (33), 
followed by the resolution of the European Parliament (EP) in December 2022 (34), the 
report of the EP Committee of Regional Development on the European Territorial agenda 
2030 (35)  and  the  conclusions  from  the  Council  of  the  European  Union  (Council)  in 
November 2023 (36); 

•  outcomes  from  the  main  events  of  the  rural  pact:  major  rural  pact  conferences (37) 
including the High-level rural policy forum on Shaping the future of rural areas, the Rural 
Pact Coordination Group (38) and exchanges with the rural pact community (39), reflecting 
the bottom-up nature of the vision; 

• 

the  European  rural  parliament,  listed in  the  LTVRA  Communication  as  a  forum  for 
exchange  on  the  implementation  of  the  rural  vision,  in  particular,  the  ‘Rural  people 
declaration of Kielce’ (40) and manifesto (41). 

A non-exhaustive overview is presented below, focusing on forward-looking ideas. They do not 
represent the official position of the Commission. 

Many contributions indicated the need to turn the rural vision into an EU rural strategy (33,34,36,37); 
to develop integrated rural strategies at Member States level (33,34,36,37); improve the Commission 
coordination between different contributing Directorate Generals for the benefit of rural areas (37); 
integrate  the  indicators  and  targets  relevant  to  rural  areas  in  existing  monitoring  mechanisms 
(33,34,37); and improve financial support to rural areas by either creating a dedicated EU fund or by 
strengthening multi-fund approaches (33,34,37,39). Contributions also pushed for consolidating and 
streamlining  financial  assistance  for  single  access  points  or  ‘one-stop-shops’  for  guidance  and 
funding for rural areas (37); earmarking funds for rural areas and regions suffering from natural or 
demographic  handicaps  (35);  and  for  allocating  a  higher  share  of  financial  resources  to  the 
instruments  dedicated  to  local  rural  development,  notably  LEADER  and  community-led  local 
development (CLLD) (34;37). Stakeholders consider it important to enhance the granularity of data 

(33)  Committee  of  the  Regions,  Opinion  on  the  long-term  vision  for  the  EU’s  rural  areas,  NAT-VII/021,  2022; 
Committee of the Regions, Targets and tools for Smart rural Europe, NAT-VII/030; and Opinion of the European 
Economic and Social Committee: Long-term Vision for the EU’s rural areas (OJ 2022/C 290/22) 

(34)  European Parliament, Report on the long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas, 2021/2254(INI)  

(35)  Committee  on  Regional  Development  of  the  European  Parliament,  Report  on  the  implementation  of  territorial 
development  (CPR,  Title  III,  Chapter  II)  and  its  application  in  the  European  Territorial  agenda  2030, 
2023/2048(INI) 

(36)  Council of the European Union, Conclusions on the long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas, 15252/23, 2023 

(37)  Rural Pact Conference in Brussels (15-16 June 2022): https://rural-vision.europa.eu/events/rural-pact-conference-
2022-06-15_en, Rural Pact Conference in Sweden (3-4 May 2023): https://rural-vision.europa.eu/events/rural-pact-
conference-sweden-2023-05-03_en and High-level Policy Forum in Spain (27-29 September 2023): https://rural-
vision.europa.eu/events/shaping-future-rural-areas-2023-09-27_en  

(38)  https://ruralpact.rural-vision.europa.eu/RPCG_en   

(39)  Policy lab on taking action to tackle rural depopulation (June 2023), https://rural-vision.europa.eu/events/taking-
action-tackle-rural-depopulation-2023-06-29_en  and  Policy  lab  on  EU  funds  paving  the  way  to  the  rural  vision 
(December 2023), https://ruralpact.rural-vision.europa.eu/events/eu-funds-paving-way-rural-vision_en 

(40)  European rural parliament, Rural people’s declaration of Kielce, 2022 

(41)  http://elard.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/European-Rural_Parliament-Manifesto-Final-2022-1.pdf  

14 

 
 
available  at  the  local  level  (33,36,37);  further  develop  the  application  of  rural  proofing  to  policy 
proposals at EU level (33,34,37) and encourage Member States to apply rural proofing (33,36,37); and 
improve access to and participation in the activities of the rural observatory (33,34). 

At EU, national, regional, and local levels, contributions focus on: simplifying the procedures and 
requirements for beneficiaries with limited administrative capacity to access funds (34,36,39,40); and 
creating a programme for LEADER and CLLD under direct management, directly accessible to 
participants, e.g. local action groups (LAGs) (37,40). Many contributions suggest providing policy 
and financial support to build rural communities’ capacity, including through strategy and project 
development,  peer-to-peer  mentoring,  and  exchange  of  good  practices  (33,34,36,37,41).  Similarly, 
stakeholders propose to: use LAGs to also build local capacities and networking (37,41); create ‘one-
stop-shops’ to provide assistance, services and innovation brokering (37); and set up mechanisms 
to share good practices with non-EU countries and regions (33,41). 

Contributions consider it important to: support dedicated interventions for rural communities under 
the CAP beyond the farming and forestry sectors, such as for energy efficiency construction and 
renovation of housing and mobility (33,34); provide essential services and infrastructure, covering 
aspects such as access to land, education, health, digital infrastructure and connectivity (33,34,36,37); 
support  rural  youth  and  women,  by  facilitating  their  access  to  funding,  providing  diverse  and 
flexible  employment  and  training  and  educational  opportunities,  and  involving  them  in  policy 
design and in local decision-making processes (34,36,37,39). 

3.3.2.  Ways forward 

Taken together, the proposals and recommendations summarised above provide useful input for 
reflection on the future policies for rural areas and communities and will inform the reflections on 
the post 2027 multi annual financial framework (MFF). The Commission welcomes the opinions 
of  the  European  Parliament,  Council,  the  CoR  and  the  EESC  and  takes  note  of  the 
recommendations included. The Commission also takes note of the proposals raised by national 
authorities and stakeholders. This report cannot prejudge the decisions on the proposal for the next 
MFF, which the Commission will present in the course of 2025. The most prominent topics raised 
to date by the EU institutions and bodies and stakeholders call for the following questions to be 
considered: 

−  What are the key challenges arising from depopulation, ongoing transitions and structural 

changes for which EU interventions provide added value?  

−  What are the best ways to address them in a targeted way that considers the different needs 

of various rural communities?  

−  How to enhance financial support for rural areas and communities through EU, national 
and regional funds, including improving synergies and complementarities between them?  
−  What  is  needed  to  improve  financing,  quality  of  delivery  and  effectiveness  through 

territorial tools such as CLLD/LEADER?  

−  How to improve the monitoring and assessment of the resources targeted to rural areas and 

communities from the different EU funds and programmes?  

−  What is needed to improve access to support for the final beneficiary through simpler rules, 

optimised procedures and improved administrative capacities?  

−  What  can  be  done  for  wider  and  more  efficient  implementation  of  the  rural  proofing 

mechanism at EU, national and regional level?  

−  What are the best policy tools to ensure institutional, governance and integrated support 

for rural areas at all levels? 

o  At EU level, would turning the rural vision into a strategy have added value in 

terms of meaningful actions on the ground? 

o  How  can  the  EU  further  help  Member  States,  regions  and  local  communities 

develop national and regional rural strategies and action plans? 
−  How to improve the availability of policy-relevant rural statistics and data, without 

increasing the administrative burden? 

15 

 
 
4.  CONCLUSIONS AND NEXT STEPS  

The 30 actions that the Commission has committed to taking in its Communication of 30 June 2021 
are all underway. Nine are completed, out of which seven are being followed-up with new activities. 
In parallel, the rural pact has gained momentum, with a growing community, a governance body, a 
platform  and  support  office  in  place  to  amplify  rural  voices,  network  actors  and  guide  public 
authorities and stakeholders on how they can act on the needs and aspirations of rural residents. 
The rural pact needs to reach the local level by translating into meaningful actions on the ground. 
For this to happen, action at EU level may help to achieve the vision for rural areas in 2040 but is 
not enough: strong commitment and engagement at Member States, regional and local level is also 
critical. 

The stocktaking exercise undertaken to identify what has been programmed for rural areas in both 
the CAP and cohesion policy programmes shows how EU policies contribute to the objectives of 
the rural vision  for  the period 2021-2027 (or 2023-2027 for the CAP) and what are the current 
limits in identifying support that goes to rural areas. The results will inform the discussions about 
the future of these policies. 

Achieving the 10 shared goals of the rural vision by 2040 is a long term endeavour, which 
requires sustaining actions and policies across the programming periods at all levels of governance.  

The  Commission  is  committed  to  implementing  and  consolidating  the  actions  put  in  place  to 
implement  the  EU  rural  action  plan  and  the  rural  pact  under  the  current  multi-annual  financial 
framework.  The  Commission  will  consider  proposals  and  reflections  from  EU  institutions  and 
bodies, stakeholder organisations and in general the rural community in the context of preparing 
the EU’s post-2027 budget proposals which are expected to be adopted by mid-2025.  

Under the rural pact, a policy lab in autumn 2024 and the rural pact conference early 2025 will 
provide platforms to discuss the strategic questions included in this report and engage rural pact 
community members and all rural stakeholders in having a say on the future. The Commission will 
keep  the  rural  community  informed  of  opportunities  to  contribute  to  public  consultations  and 
engagement  activities  in  various  policy  domains.  The  RPCG  will  work  hand  in  hand  with  the 
Commission and the RPSO in ensuring that community views are collected and fed into the policy 
development processes. 

In addition to discussions in the rural pact context, specific activities will be organised under each 
of the supporting EU policies. The Commission will ensure rural stakeholders are well represented 
in these processes, in line with the Better Regulation guidelines updated in 2021, that imply the 
consultation of stakeholders from different types of territories. For the CAP, the outcomes of the 
strategic dialogue on the future of farming launched by Commission President von der Leyen will 
further  inform  the  reflection.  For  cohesion  policy,  the  ninth  cohesion  report  sets  out  paths  for 
reflection including for rural areas. The orientations and issues will be subject to a broad debate at 
the Cohesion Forum taking place on 11 and 12 April 2024. In other policy areas, the Commission 
will be invited to consider the implications for rural areas of future policies in line with the rural 
proofing mechanism created following the adoption of the rural vision. 

16