EU Rural vision

Read our latest Policy Briefing in all official EU languages and find out how the Rural Pact can contribute to transformative local action in rural areas. The publication identifies a set of actions for both local communities and higher-level authorities to pursue in order to enable tailored responses to rural challenges.

Join national and regional policymakers, and rural stakeholders online on 12 June to explore measures for efficient implementation of the rural proofing mechanism. The Rural Pact Policy Lab will enable peer exchange and reflection, as well as develop proposals and recommendations for policymakers.

The development of a Flemish Rural Pact – an ambitious partnership among government, provinces, local authorities, civil society organisations and rural communities – was launched on 27 March 2025 by the Flemish Minister of Rural Policy, Hilde Crevits.

The Rural Pact Support Office is happy to announce that the new Conference date has been set for 16-17 September 2025! If you are not joining us at Château du Biez (Belgium), be sure to tune in for the live streaming – the link will be communicated closer to the date.

We’re happy to announce that the Rural Pact is now on Bluesky! We invite you to follow us on this social platform and stay up-to-date with the latest rural development news, events, good practices and so much more.

Hear a range of stakeholder voices on the most pressing developments around the EU’s rural vision and Pact in 2024 in this second edition of the Magazine, now available in French and German, as well as English.

The new petition of the European LEADER Association for Rural Development (ELARD) calls for concrete action to embed LEADER/CLLD at the core of EU policies, ensuring territorial cohesion, economic competitiveness, democratic resilience, and effective rural crisis response. Read the petition – available in 21 languages – and sign, if you agree with its call.

Browse through a wealth of informational products and audio-visuals in the new rural proofing campaign of the Spanish Rural Development Network (REDR): short video testimonials, good practices from Spain and beyond, publications and more. Browse through the outputs in Spanish and English.

Individuals and organisations are invited to provide feedback for developing a comprehensive approach against racism in all its forms and manifestations across the EU. Contributions will inform the Commission’s first comprehensive strategy, building on the prior anti-racism action plan.

Bioeconomy stakeholders – ranging from primary biomass producers, farmers and foresters, to public authorities – are invited to provide feedback on circular and sustainable production and consumption of biological resources for food, materials, energy and services. This will inform a new EU bioeconomy strategy expected by the end of 2025.

The initiative recognises villages around the world that demonstrate how tourism can drive positive transformation in rural areas, showcasing examples of innovative and inclusive tourism approaches. The call for applications for the fifth edition is open until 19 May 2025.

A recently adopted opinion of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) proposes the establishment of new implementation tools to strengthen support for LEADER/CLLD. These would be based on a lead fund and the use of lump-sum payments for small projects.

Has your project made a positive regional or local impact? Are its benefits still visible after completion, with the potential to expand across Europe? Apply to the REGIOSTARS contest – gain valorisation and a promotional campaign by the European Commission for your project!

A total of EUR 172 million will be dedicated to advancing competitive, circular bio-based industries in Europe across 13 topics. Apply to the Circular bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) call for project proposals by 18 September 2025.

Do you have expertise to assist the implementation of citizen-led, energy renovation projects? The European Commission is looking for service providers of tailor-made support, such as technical guidance, financial advice, project management, capacity building and network activation.

The publication, produced by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), analyses and overviews the knowledge accumulated through developing this online platform. The Rural toolkit, launched in February 2024, is a comprehensive guide to EU funding and support opportunities for rural areas in the EU.

Although the Smart Villages approach has become rooted in the rural development pillar of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), further consolidation and clarifications are needed around its implementation through the 2023-2027 CAP Strategic Plans. Read more in the Smart Rural 27 project report.

A set of practical guides covering 17 rural areas across seven European countries intend to make energy-efficient renovation accessible for rural communities across the EU, while contributing to the EU’s climate goals.