The first of four meetings of the ENRD Thematic Group (TG) on the Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas took place on 22-23 September 2020.
On this first meeting, members of the Thematic Group #rural2040 worked on the first phase of a Foresight Exercise that will inform the EU Communication on a Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas, discussed on how to support stakeholder engagement in the development of the vision, and shared information about the existing state of knowledge.
During the meeting, Alexia Rouby (DG AGRI) introduced some of the results of the work of SHERPA on the review of a sample of foresight and scenario examples (see the ppt).
Some SHERPA partners (Samuel Feret, CIHEAM) and the members of EU Multi-actor Platform (ELARD, Forum for Synergies) attended the meeting, as they have been selected to be part of the Thematic Group.
During the meeting, the European Commission introduced a draft toolkit for organising a workshop to engage rural stakeholders in the development of their local vision, and which results could feed into the EU process for developing the EU Vision for rural areas.
The process launched by the EC will finalise in 2021 with the Communication on the Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas, that should enable rural communities to make the most of their potential and support them in facing up to their own unique set of issues, from demographic change to connectivity, the risk of poverty and limited access to services. This communication will also inform how future EU funds will be designed to support rural areas.
More information about this first meeting and all the presentations available here.