Rural development: regions call for a broader territorial cohesion agenda

Local and regional leaders adopted an opinion on the Future of Rural Development after 2027 during a plenary session of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) on 6 May. Led by rapporteur Radim Sršeň (CZ/EPP), mayor of Dolní Studénky, the opinion calls for rural development to be fully recognised as a core objective of Cohesion Policy, supported by dedicated funding and a coherent approach that goes beyond sector-specific agricultural policies.

Rural areas, which account for around 80% of EU territory and are home to nearly 30% of EU citizens, remain structurally underinvested. This persistent gap is weakening economic, social and territorial cohesion, undermining democratic trust and the 'right to stay', and also limiting the EU's long-term competitiveness. At the same time, rural territories play a strategic role in delivering key priorities of the European Union, including climate action, environmental protection, renewable energy, stable and sovereign food systems, territorial resilience and social cohesion.

Against this backdrop, local and regional representatives welcome the proposed EU territorial approach to rural development as a step towards more coherent, flexible and locally tailored funding. However, they stress that rural areas have been underfunded in the current budget and risk falling further behind in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) unless significant resources are clearly earmarked for rural territories.

The opinion therefore calls for a stronger and more integrated framework that streamlines and aligns existing funding instruments, placing rural development more firmly within a broader Cohesion Policy approach. It also highlights the potential of programmes such as the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF) and Horizon Europe to support innovation and competitiveness in rural regions.

A key emphasis is placed on governance: post-2027 rural development should be firmly grounded in the principle of subsidiarity, ensuring the meaningful decision-making involvement of regional and local authorities throughout the design, approval and implementation of national and regional partnership plans (NRPPs).

Finally, the opinion calls for reinforced support for proven place-based approaches such as LEADER and Smart Villages, backed by dedicated funding, alongside stronger rural proofing and capacity-building across all levels of governance to ensure policies better reflect and respond to rural needs.

Quote

Rapporteur Radim Sršeň (CZ/EPP), Mayor of the Municipality of Dolní Studénky: "The Future of Rural Development is at a crossroads. Rural areas can either become a museum or a vibrant and attractive place to live for all generations. They have a lot of challenges as well as great potential, and a holistic, place-based, integrated, multi-fund and multi-policy approach is the only recipe for their future. There should also be adequate dedicated funding for rural areas, corresponding to the reality that 30% of European citizens living there, as well as for place-based integrated instruments such as LEADER/CLLD and Smart Villages etc., as they have proved to be very successful in engaging the citizens and bring tailor-made solutions for each corner of Europe. Fully using the strategic potential of rural areas and enhancing the quality of life there is the only way to change the tides of demography and discontent."

Background

• Photos and videos from the plenary session.
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• The adopted opinion is part of a series of 20 opinions on which the CoR is working to assess specific aspects and regulations of the future EU long-term budget 2028-34: check the opinions' roadmap.
  

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