COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Reviewed EU rural action plan Accompanying the document 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
Date: 2024-03-27
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: EU action, EU regional policy, action programme, 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  SWD(2024) 451 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Reviewed EU rural action plan Accompanying the document 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              {COM(2024) 450 final} - {SWD(2024) 450 final}  
 
 
Action title 

Expected 
start 
date1 

Implementation  
status 

Description2 

Stronger rural areas 

Flagship: Set 
up a rural 
revitalisation 
platform  

2022/2023 

Completed 
(launched on 
29/06/2023) and 
continuing 

Flagship: 
Research and 
innovation for 
rural 
communities  

2021 

Ongoing since June 
2021  

The rural revitalisation platform is a one-stop shop for rural communities, rural project holders and 
local authorities alike to collaborate. It predominantly supports rural areas affected by population loss, 
ageing and a lack of economic opportunities, by sharing information and best practices on tools and 
strategies. It is integrated as a special focus of the broader Rural pact community platform. 

The platform promotes LEADER, smart villages, Interreg and integrated territorial strategies with a 
view to making rural areas more attractive and making services accessible to all. It links up with the 
pilot action ‘Small places matter’ under the Territorial Agenda and the ‘Smart Rural 21’ and ‘Smart 
Rural 27’ projects to develop smart village approaches. 

Research  and  innovation  activities  support  the  development  of  innovations  by  and  for  rural 
communities as well as training and knowledge exchange to accelerate the spread and adoption of 
these innovations. These are funded through dedicated topics within relevant parts of Horizon Europe 
work programmes and calls, mentioning the contribution of the project to the rural vision, favouring 
the active participation of rural stakeholders in projects and inviting beneficiaries to liaise with the 
rural pactwhen relevant. 

The  development  of rural  innovation  ecosystems  and connections  between  rural innovation actors 
across the EU is supported by i) dedicated actions under the European Innovation Partnership for 
agriculture  through  workshops  and  focus  groups  and ii)  the set-up  and  operation  of  the  European 
Startup Village Forum through analysis of factors triggering rural innovation and engagement work 
with rural startups, enhancing connections between rural innovation actors across the EU. 
This  flagship  includes  the  action  “Analyse  spatial  mobility  in  demographically  declining  areas  in  Europe”,  delivered 
through Horizon Europe projects, included under the “resilient” part of the EU Rural action plan in the 2021 version: The 
Commission will analyse the drivers of demographically declining and left behind areas in Europe, and will examine the 
demographic, economic, social, labour market and cultural effects of urban-rural mobility in both sending and receiving 
areas. It also aims to promote rural development, sustainability and socio-economic equality. 

1 As foreseen in the EU rural action plan adopted on 30 June 2021 and annexed to the communication on the long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas (COM(2021)345 final) 
2 All actions represent the intention of the Commission at the date of adoption but delivery may have to be reconsidered in light of available resources. 

1 

 
 
 
Enhanced 
networking for 
LEADER/CLL
D and Smart 
Villages. 

Develop a study 
on land use 
linked to 
sustainable 
farming.  

Support 
education, 
training, youth, 
sport and 
volunteering 
activities in 
rural areas 

2021 

Ongoing since June 
2021 

2022 

Started in July 2023 
and ongoing 

2021 

Completed & 
continuing 

Over  the  past  30  years,  communities  have  been  empowered  to  develop  local  strategies  with  CAP 
funding  under  the  LEADER  approach,  which  has  been  extended  to  other  funds  through  so-called 
Community-Led Local Development (CLLD). Enhanced networking strengthens these approaches, 
along  others  such  as  Smart  Villages  and  sustainable  coastal  communities,  and  provides  advice  to 
stakeholders involved in the governance systems of these initiatives, notably on better, smarter, more 
inclusive strategies, simpler delivery systems and improving the delivery of intangible benefits such 
as increased social capital and improved quality of local governance. 

The Commission launched a study on land use linked to sustainable farming. The study, which should 
be  completed  by  the  end  of  2024,  will  provide  a  comprehensive  analysis  of  the  main  impacts  of 
sectoral developments (agricultural, forestry, energy, protection of natural areas, protection of water, 
urban sprawl and infrastructure, climate action, mining, consumption patterns, etc.) on land use in the 
EU’s rural areas. It will also identify recommendations for optimal land use, in particular to promote 
sustainable farming in light of other demands on land. 

Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps Programmes (2021-2027) are reaching more people in rural 
areas  through  inclusion  measures  covering  all  fields  of  education,  training,  youth,  sport  and 
volunteering  such  as:  i)  specific  financial  mechanisms;  ii)  targeted  communication  activities;  iii) 
easier-to-access  mobility  and  cooperation  activity  formats,  iv)  expanded  set  of  digital  measures 
(particularly suited for cooperation and initiatives at local and regional level), and v) training and 
networking opportunities. 

The EU-CoE Youth Partnership works on rural youth under the priority “young people in rural areas”. 
Based on the work plan 2024-2025, the partnership will present research on rural youth, exploring 
how young people living in rural areas access opportunities (non-formal learning, active citizenship, 
and  participation  at  local,  regional,  national  and  European  levels),  analysing  promising  practices, 
existing tools and youth friendly frameworks, and providing guidance for policy makers on how to 
expand opportunities for young people in rural areas. 

2 

 
 
 
 
Connected rural areas 

Flagship: Develop 
rural mobility 
through  
(1) support to 
rural 
municipalities in 
identifying best 
practices 
(2) multimodal 
digital mobility 
services 

2021 

Ongoing 
since 
December 
2022  (launch 
of 
SMARTA-
NET)  

It is imperative to improve existing transport connections. To this end, sustainable multimodal mobility 
solutions and connections should be optimised, making use of digitalisation. Building on its experience 
with urban mobility networks, the Commission supports rural municipalities in discussing and identifying 
mobility solutions through the SMARTA NET project. The network showcases local level initiatives which 
local authorities could replicate in their territory and provides a forum for discussion on rural mobility 
issues. 

Improving connections between road, rail, waterways, and air transport can make them more accessible to 
rural areas. Digital platforms should also be used to create multimodal real-time information, ticketing or 
booking services, allowing people to easily reach their final destination through the most sustainable mode 
of transport. 

Flagship: Rural 
Digital Futures 

2021 

Ongoing 
since 
2021 

June 

1.  Digital  connectivity:  closing  the  gaps  between  rural  and  urban  areas  and  enabling  universal  and 
affordable access to high-speed broadband, including 5G. This is achieved by mobilising private-sector 
investments through complementary public funding from national and European sources, notably from the 
Recovery  and  Resilience  Facility,  the  European  Structural  and  Investment  Funds  (ESIF)  and  the 
Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). 

2.  Digital  technology:  digital  innovation  and  new  technologies  such  as  artificial  intelligence,  robotics, 
Internet of Things solutions and Digital Innovation Hubs contributing to the development of rural areas by 
implementing the actions of Europe’s digital decade. European programmes such as Horizon Europe and 
the Digital Europe Programme is mobilised to support innovation and deployment of digital capacities. 

3. People (“human capital”): boosting competencies needed for the digital transformation of rural areas, 
including  digital  skills  and  entrepreneurship.  The  European  Social  Fund  Plus,  the  EAFRD  and  other 
European programmes contribute to make this happen. 

4. Measuring the progress towards closing the digital gap between urban and rural areas by showcasing 
relevant indicators, notably from the Digital Economy and Society Index, transformed in 2023 in the “State 
of the digital decade”. 

3 

 
 
Support the roll-
out of broadband in 
rural areas.  

2022 

Completed 
(support 
facility set up 
April 
in 
2022) 
and 
continuing 

Broadband  Competence  Offices (BCOs)  are contact  points  in  Member  States  or regions.  They  provide 
guidance  and  advice  to  broadband  project  promoters,  investors,  and  users  (local  and  regional  public 
authorities, citizens, operators, businesses and any relevant stakeholder). A strengthened support facility 
supports the BCO network to improve rural broadband roll-out and facilitate investments.  

Continue 
promoting the 
digitalisation of the 
agricultural sector 
through capacity 
building (including 
in digital skills), 
research and 
innovation, and 
demonstration 
including in the 
fields of Internet of 
Things, robotics 
and automation, 
big data 
management and 
use 

Highlight urban-
rural linkages in 
the new EU Urban 
Mobility 
Framework  

2021 

Ongoing 
since 
2021 

June 

The common agricultural policy (CAP) and Horizon Europe will continue to support the digitalisation of 
agriculture through, training, advice and innovation actions under the CAP and R&I actions under Horizon 
Europe.  

2021 

Completed 
(framework 
published  in 
December 
2021) 
continuing  

and 

The Commission published the new EU Urban Mobility Framework, which includes specific actions to 
better integrate the urban, peri-urban, and rural linkages. This is done through further development of the 
Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs), where dedicated attention goes to better support connectivity 
between rural, peri-urban areas and metropolitan/urban areas, via safe and sustainable mobility options. 

4 

 
 
Improve 
accessibility of 
rural areas through 
the Drone Strategy 
2.0.  

2022 

Completed 
(strategy 
published  in 
November 
2022) 

In addition to utility services (field inspections and measurements), drones can improve accessibility in 
remote  rural  areas.  They  can  be  used  for  delivery  of  small  goods  in  rural  areas  (eg.  small  packages, 
prescribed medicine to patient homes, mail, food, small automotive parts, etc.). The European Commission 
published its Drone Strategy 2.0 taking these elements into account. 

Flagship: Support 
rural 
municipalities in 
energy transition 
and fighting 
climate change 

2022 

Ongoing 
since 2022 

Resilient rural areas 

(1) The creation of the Rural Energy Communities Advisory Hub (New) 

There  is  now  a  significant  role  allocated  to  energy  communities  to  contribute  to  reach  our  increased 
renewable energy targets and become independent from gas, oil, and coal imports. Rural areas hold great 
potential due to the space available to develop renewable energy projects. The Rural Energy Communities 
Advisory  Hub  (RECAH,  2022-2023)  launched  by  the  Commission  empowered  the  development  of 
sustainable  energy  community  projects  in  European  rural  areas  by  providing  technical  assistance  to 
citizens and authorities. The Commission is exploring follow-up activities. 

(2)  The creation of synergies on rural areas in the Covenant of Mayors 
The Commission interacts with the Covernant of Mayors to explore the possible synergies with the rural 
vision and rural pact, such as the organisation of common events or activities, like the webinar organised 
by the Rural Pact Support Office in 2023 with the Covenant of Mayors, to exchange and disseminate best 
practices around the energy transition in rural areas. 
(3)  Address rural areas in the New European Bauhaus 
The New European Bauhaus, which connects the European Green Deal to our living spaces by adapting 
buildings and public spaces, plays an important role in rural areas, where several projects are funded. The 
Commission is exploring the possible synergies with the rural vision. 

(4) The use of structural funding to finance the renovation wave 

Member States, regions and local authorities should further seize the opportunity to finance investments 
through territorial instruments of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European 
Agricultural  Fund  for  Rural  Development  (EAFRD):  Integrated  Territorial  Investments  (ITI’s), 
Community-Led Local Development (CLLD) and LEADER. 

5 

 
 
Flagship: Climate 
action in peatland 
through carbon 
farming 

2021 

Ongoing 
since 2021 

Flagship: EU 
Mission ’A Soil 
Deal for Europe’ 

2021 

Ongoing 
since 
2021 

June 

Rural areas can become relevant actors in addressing climate change and restoring biodiversity. To that 
end, the provision of ecosystem services by farmers and foresters should benefit from further recognition. 
For instance, the restoration, rewetting and conservation of wetlands and peatlands has great potential in 
terms of climate benefits as it can deliver immediately significant emission reductions in a relatively small 
area, while at the same time delivering several co-benefits related to water management and biodiversity.  

This transition would be more effective with a territorial approach, in particular in those rural areas hosting 
extensive peatlands. These regions could make benefit from support under the Just Transition Fund. Carbon 
farming initiatives could be a further source of income for their farmers and foresters, rewarding them for 
carbon sequestration and protection.  

As set out in the Farm-to-Fork Strategy, and thanks to the Commission proposal for a framework regulation 
on certification of carbon removals, new rewarding schemes will promote carbon protection in peatland 
and wetlands. The CAP, the cohesion policy and the LIFE programme can provide support to develop pilot 
carbon-farming initiatives in their regions. Ensuring strong advisory support to farmers and foresters will 
be particularly relevant. This support is key to the success of environmental land management schemes 
involving farms of all sizes. 

The  EU  Mission  ‘A soil  deal for  Europe’  funded  under  Horizon  Europe  is implementing  an  ambitious 
research  and  innovation  programme,  is  setting  up,  100  ‘living  labs’  involving  researchers,  farmers, 
foresters, spatial planners, citizens and other stakeholders (e.g. local authorities) and lighthouses (sites to 
showcase  good  practices)  with  the  objective  to  implement  innovative  sustainable  land  management 
practices on the ground. The Mission is also contributing to the harmonisation of soil montirong across the 
EU and to increase soil literacy and the general awareness on the importance of soil through communication 
and engagement activities. The mission contributes to tackle soil challenges in rural areas, but also in urban 
settings, building connections between rural and urban practices. Synergies are built with the other Horizon 
Europe Missions.  

6 

 
 
Flagship: Social 
resilience and 
Women in rural 
areas 

2021 

Ongoing 
since 2021 

Support for women will keep being provided to entrepreneurship,  participation in decision-making and 
investments in work-life balance services, such as early childhood education and care, as well as services 
for older people. 

There can also be opportunities to increase women’s participation in the labour market,  in particular in 
agriculture,  under the common agricultural  policy or the schemes  and  support of  European  Institute  of 
Innovation and Technology (EIT).  

The  Commission  will  continue  supporting  Member  States’  work  on  improving  the  availability, 
accessibility and affordability of quality education and care services for children, older persons and persons 
with  disabilities  in  rural  areas  through  the  implementation  of  the  Care  Strategy,  investments  from  the 
European Social Fund Plus, the European Regional Development Fund, the Invest EU programme and the 
European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. 

Special attention will keep being paid to people in vulnerable situation.  

Analyse spatial 
mobility in 
demographically 
declining areas in 
Europe  

Prepare a study on 
the working 
conditions of 
agricultural 
seasonal workers 

Address the 
inclusion and 
integration of 
people with a 
migrant 
background in rural 
areas 

2021 

– 
Ongoing 
transferred  to 
“stronger" 

This action, delivered through three Horizon Europe projects, has been integrated in the flagship “Research and 
innovation for rural communities” under “stronger rural areas” to rationalise reporting.  

2022 

Ongoing 
(study 
launched 
2023) 

in 

The  Commission  launched  a  study  looking  into  the  working  conditions  of  seasonal  workers  in  the 
agricultural  sector.  The  study  addresses  the  general  situation  of  their  working  conditions  in  the  EU, 
focusing on identification of applicable rules and regulations. The study will be published in first half of 
2025. 

2022 

Ongoing 
since 2022  

As part of the implementation of the Action plan on integration and inclusion 2021-2027, the Commission 
will keep exploring options to build rural partnerships to promote inclusion and integration of migrants in 
rural areas. 

7 

 
 
Ensure equal 
opportunities to 
children in rural 
areas 

Address the needs 
of people with 
disabilities in rural 
areas 

2021 

Ongoing 
since 2021 

Ensure equal opportunities to children in rural areas by implementing the European Child Guarantee and 
providing children in need with free access to early childhood education and care, education and school-
based  activities,  at  least  one  healthy  meal  each  school  day,  healthcare,  and  effective  access  to  heathy 
nutrition and adequate housing. 

2021 

Ongoing 
since 2021 

By implementing the New Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030 in collaboration 
with the MS, the Commission is supporting improved access to their rights in rural areas. 

8 

 
 
 
 
Flagship: 
Entrepreneurship 
and the social 
economy in rural 
areas 

2021 

Ongoing 
since 2021 

Prosperous rural areas 

The flagship promotes sharing and supporting experiences across the Single Market to revitalise rural areas 
through  cooperation,  best  practice  and  knowledge  exchange.  A  series  of  actions  is  proposed  to  enable 
industry entrepreneurs, SMEs and social economy organisations to return to, transform and thrive in rural 
areas:  
- develop SMEs in rural areas by favouring clustering, networking, and cooperation through the Single 
Market programme, COSME and European Enterprise Network; 
- promote social economy business models in rural areas through the European action plan for the social 
economy; 
- boost retail and local supply chains in rural areas by e.g. improving the interface of local producers and 
retail and creating local food hubs; and 
- creation and support of innovative environments in rural areas through educating and empowering future 
entrepreneurs to develop societal or business models and solutions that would cater for the needs of local 
communities, with the help, expertise, and service provisions of the EIT KICs.   

Continue 
encouraging 
Member States to 
increase education, 
training and 
employment 
opportunities for 
young people in 
rural and remote 
areas under the 
reinforced Youth 
Guarantee and the 
European Education 
Area 

2021 

Ongoing 
since 2021 

The reinforced Youth Guarantee is a commitment by the EU Member States that all young people under 
30 receive a good quality offer of employment, continued education, apprenticeship, or traineeship. As 
part of this commitment, Member States should address the needs of young people in rural and remote 
areas.  Particular  attention  will  keep  being  paid  to  making  jobs  and  other  opportunities  available.  The 
Commission monitors the implementation of the reinforced Youth Guarantee, including the progress in 
the situation of young people in rural areas.  

The  Commission  Communication  on  Achieving  the  European  Education  Area  by  2025  outlines  the 
Commission’s vision and foresees important initiatives to foster the quality and inclusiveness of national 
education and training systems, which will have an impact on rural and remote areas.  

9 

 
 
 
Promote the 
development of a 
sustainable 
bioeconomy, 
including in the 
framework of the EU 
Forest Strategy and 
in the carbon-
farming initiative 

2021 

Ongoing 
since 2021 

Highlight the role 
of  Producer 
Organisations (POs) 
in rural development 
and strengthen 
producers group of 
geographical 
indications 

2022 

Ongoing 
since 2022 

The Commission adopted a new EU Forest Strategy in July 2021 with a number of actions, including to 
plant 3 billion trees by 2030. This will provide opportunities for jobs and growth through forest restoration 
activities and will support farmers and rural communities in adapting to climate change, protecting their 
crops from more frequent adverse weather events (floods, droughts, heatwaves, etc.) and diversifying their 
revenues.  A  thematic  group  was  organised  -under  the  EU  CAP  Network  (March  to  May  2023)-  on 
supporting the needs of forest-dominant rural areas and municipalities: promoting a network under the EU 
Forest  Strategy.  The  thematic  group  brought  together  representatives  of  and  stakeholders  from  forest-
dominant rural areas and municipalities across the EU to explore how to better support those areas and 
communities. 

The establishment of a Horizon European partnership, also enshrined in the EU Forest Strategy, is one of 
the  key  objectives  to  overcome  the  fragmentation  of  forestry  research  and  innovation.  The  proposed 
partnership  “Forests  and  forestry  for  a  sustainable  future”  will  be  the  main  instrument  of  public 
organisations in Europe to join forces through concerted research and innovation from 2025 onwards. 

Through the implementation of CAP instruments, sustainable land and forest management practices and 
investments and cooperation related to bioeconomy and carbon removals are promoted.  With regard to 
forest-dominant  rural  areas,  CAP  instruments  may  provide  funding  to  e.g.  stimulate  innovation  and 
business development for the rural bioeconomy, new employment opportunities and alternative bio-based 
products,  protect  biodiversity,  contribute  to  the  fight  against  climate  change  and  enhance  provision  of 
ecosystem services.. 

POs can strengthen the social fabric in rural areas by offering their members a sense of belonging and by 
increasing the level of social capital and trust within the communities where they are based. They can 
contribute to increasing the standard of living in rural areas by securing jobs and livelihoods. POs not only 
directly employ people; they also indirectly help producers earn their living from farming. In this light, the 
Commission foresees the adoption of a Regulation on European Union geographical indications for, among 
others, wine, spirit drinks and agricultural products, and quality schemes for agricultural products in 2024. 

The Commission has organised and will keep organising mini-conferences to address the role of producer 
organisations and their contribution to rural development with the aim to promote the adoption of GIs. 

The  Commission  also  developed  a  web-based  toolkit  for  GI  producers  and  has  and  will  keep 
communicating actively with GI producers through fairs, events and specific outreach initiatives. 

10 

 
 
Enhance availability 
of statistics on rural 
areas through: 
(1) making available 
new detailed data 
collected in the 2021 
round of population 
and housing 
censuses in the EU 
disseminated via the 
2021 Census 
Statistical Atlas;  

(2) modernising the 
legal framework for 
European population 
and housing 
statistics. 

(3) developing Pan-
European geospatial 
datasets 

(4) mainstreaming 
the degree of 
urbanisation 

Set up a rural 
observatory to bring 
together all data 
collected by the 
Commission on rural 
areas, including 
official statistics 

Implementation of the rural action plan and governance * 

The Commission will continue its work to reinforce statistical data collection and provision on rural 
areas.  

(1) While publications of demographic statistics at NUTS3 level in line with Regulation (EC) No 
1260/2013 will continue, the 2021 round of population and housing censuses will provide detailed 
regional and local information, including collection of georeferenced population data at 1 km square grid 
level from all Member States for the first time.  

2021 

Ongoing 
since 2021 

(2) The Commission has proposed a new framework regulation integrating population and housing 
census, demography, and international migration statistics and extending the data requirements towards 
their geographical detail to enhance the scope of statistics relevant for rural areas. The Commission 
works to adopt and implement this new legal framework. 

(3) The Commission will establish a harmonised approach on the use of Geospatial Information Systems, 
developing pan-European geospatial datasets (for example on public transport, education, health care 
etc.) and enabling the production of more georeferenced statistics and related indicators (like 
accessibility of schools, hospitals, etc.). 

(4) The list of indicators by degree of urbanisation will further expand as new datasets become available. 

2022 

Ongoing 
since 
December 
2022 

The rural observatory setup in December 2022 supports the knowledge production and aims at improving 
data  collection  and  dissemination  related  to  EU  rural  areas.  It  offers  relevant  statistics,  indicators  and 
analyses based on data from multiple sources and at the most appropriate territorial granularity, covering 
the economic, social and environmental dimensions.  
The observatory contributes to a better understanding of rural areas and it represents an important source 
of information for "rural proofing", to evaluate and assess the impact of EU legislative initiatives on rural 
areas, and to provide evidence for policy making in relation to rural areas development.  

11 

 
 
 
 
 
Work on the 
definition of 
functional rural areas  

2022 

Apply rural proofing 
notably to the 
Commission's major 
legislative proposals 
which affect rural 
areas 

2022 

Propose a rural pact 
to national, regional 
and local authorities 
committing to 
address the specific 
needs of rural areas 

2021 

Completed 
(definition 
proposed 
end 2023) & 
continuing 

Completed 
(mechanism 
set up in 
Nov. 2021) 
& 
continuing 

Completed 
(pact 
proposed  in 
December 
2021 
and 
endorsed  in 
June 2022) 

& 
continuing 

The Commission has proposed a definition of functional rural areas in November 2023 and will continue 
discussing it with stakeholders and international organisations and explore the usefulness of this territorial 
typology for statistical and policy purposes in the long term.  

A  rural  proofing  mechanism  has  been  created  through  the  ‘better  regulation  guidelines’  adopted  in 
November 2021. The Commission implements this mechanism to assess the impact of major EU legislation 
and initiatives on rural areas since 2022.  

The  rural  pact  has  been  proposed  to  the  national,  regional,  and  local  authorities  and  stakeholders  in 
December  2021  and  the  concept  to  make  it  operational,  developed  in  concertation  with  other  EU 
institutions and bodies and stakeholder organisations, has been endorsed at the rural pact conference in 
June 2022.  

The rural pact provides a framework for cooperation between public authorities, civil society, businesses, 
academia and citizens, at the European, national, regional and local level. It contributes to achieving the 
shared  goals  of  the  rural  vision  by  facilitating  interaction  on  rural  matters.  It  aims  at  fostering  mutual 
inspiration between all levels of governance and mobilising public authorities and stakeholders to act on 
the needs and aspirations of rural residents. 

More specifically, the three objectives of the pact are to amplify rural voices and bring them higher on the 
political agenda, structure and enable networking, collaboration, and mutual learning, and encourage and 
monitor voluntary commitments to act for the rural vision. 

The Commission acts as a facilitator of the rural pact through its contract (2022-2025) with the Rural Pact 
Support Office.   

12 

 
 
Publish a toolkit on 
the combination of 
EU funds for the 
revitalisation of rural 
areas 

2022 

Completed 
in  2023  and 
published in 
February 
2024 

The rural toolkit is a dashboard providing operational and practical solutions to rural stakeholders to make 
use of the opportunities offered by post 2020 EU Funds. 

It also provides (a) practical examples of innovative investments combining funding sources and getting 
better  value  for  support  and  (b)  links  with  methodological  support  for  integrated  territorial  and  local 
strategies under cohesion policy. 

*Actions under this section were reordered compared to the initial EU rural action plan, to group the actions regarding statistics and data (including the rural 
observatory and functional rural areas) at the top. 

13