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opinion parliamentary committee draft, 24 July 2023

On the implementation of territorial development (CPR, Title III, Chapter II) and its application in the European Territorial agenda 2030

Document AGRI-PA-746984 · (2023/2048(INI))

Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development · Rapporteur: Asim Ademov

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AI:In short

The Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development sets out suggestions for the Committee on Regional Development to include in its resolution on territorial development and the European Territorial Agenda 2030. It notes rural challenges such as demographic decline, ageing, rural abandonment, poor access to infrastructure and services, low incomes and few jobs, while seeing the digital and green transitions as opportunities. It calls for better policy coherence and rural proofing, full integration of the long-term vision for rural areas into cohesion and common agricultural policy programming, use of the LEADER community-led local development method, and multi-fund approaches for integrated projects.

Position. The committee proposes that the Committee on Regional Development incorporate its suggestions into the motion for a resolution, covering rural challenges, policy coherence and rural proofing, integration of the rural vision into cohesion and CAP programming, LEADER and multi-fund approaches.

Key points

  1. The committee asks the Committee on Regional Development to incorporate its suggestions into the motion for a resolution.
  2. It states that rural areas face demographic decline and ageing, especially among farming populations, rural abandonment, lack of infrastructure and services, low incomes and fewer jobs.
  3. It states that the digital and green transitions offer opportunities for stronger, connected, resilient, innovative and prosperous rural areas in the long term.
  4. It notes that the European Territorial Agenda 2030 calls for strengthening the territorial dimension of sectoral policies at all governance levels.
  5. It recalls that small and family farms are the backbone of EU rural areas, providing food security and ecosystem services.
  6. It stresses improving policy coherence and rural proofing of future EU initiatives to prevent rural depopulation and support generational renewal, broadband access and job creation.
  7. It reiterates the need to fully integrate the long-term vision for the EU's rural areas into current and future cohesion and common agricultural policy programming frameworks.
  8. It underlines the potential of the LEADER community-led local development method to engage rural communities in local action groups for local development strategies.
  9. It points to the importance of facilitating and promoting multi-fund approaches to support integrated projects for inclusive and sustainable rural development.

Who is affected

  • Rural areas and their residents, who face demographic decline, ageing, abandonment, low incomes and fewer jobs.
  • EU farming populations, especially those affected by ageing and demographic decline.
  • Small and family farms, described as the backbone of EU rural areas.
  • Rural communities, which can be engaged through LEADER community-led local development and local action groups.

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Full text

Suggestions 9 paragraphs

The Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development calls on the Committee on Regional Development, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following suggestions into its motion for a resolution:

A.whereas rural areas face the urgent challenges of demographic decline and ageing, especially affecting EU farming populations, along with rural abandonment, lack of access to infrastructure and services, low incomes and fewer job opportunities;

B.whereas the digital and green transitions offer opportunities for stronger, connected, resilient, innovative and prosperous rural areas in the long term;

C.whereas the European Territorial Agenda 2030 calls for the territorial dimension of sectoral policies to be strengthened at all governance levels;

1.Recalls that small and family farms are the backbone of EU rural areas, providing food security and ecosystem services for European citizens;

2.Stresses the importance of improving the policy coherence and rural proofing of future EU initiatives to effectively prevent rural depopulation and to facilitate generational renewal, broadband access and job creation in rural areas;

3.Reiterates the need for full integration of the long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas in the current and future cohesion and common agricultural policy (CAP) programming frameworks to ensure that the rural dimension is properly addressed at all governance levels;

4.Underlines the potential of the LEADER community-led local development method (CLLD) to engage rural communities in local action groups for the preparation and implementation of targeted local development strategies;

5.Points to the importance of facilitating and promoting the use of multi-fund approaches to support the implementation of integrated projects for inclusive and sustainable rural development.