The first meeting of the EU MAP’s Coordination Group took place online on 15 July 2020. The EU Multi-Actor Platform (MAP) is SHERPA’s rural interface established at the European level aiming to engage a mix of key actors from the three target communities (science, society and policy). The EU MAP provides space for debating issues and priorities for the future development of rural areas and formulate key policy recommendations.
The meeting was attended by the following experts from civil society, policy and research fields: Alexia Rouby (DG AGRI, European Commission), Eleftherios Stavropoulos(DG REGIO, European Commission), Hélène Moraut (European Committee of the Regions), Hannes Lorenzen (Forum for Synergies), Goran Šoster (Partnership for Rural Europe – PREPARE), Marion Eckardt (European LEADER Association for Rural Development – ELARD), Paul Soto (European Network for Rural Development – ENRD), David Miller and Katerine Irvine (The James Hutton Institute), Dominique Barjolle (University of Zurich), Olivier Chartier and Elodie Salle (Ecorys) and Enrique Nieto (AEIDL).
During the meeting, members of the Coordination Group were introduced to the SHERPA project, the role of the EU MAP and the rules of engagement of its members, and planned the activities of the EU MAP for 2020. The group welcomed the participatory SHERPA approach and expressed their enthusiasm to start exchanging on the results of the 20 MAPs from across the EU.
The work and discussions of the EU MAP this year will result on the development of two SHERPA position papers on ‘Biodiversity and landscape features’ and on the ‘Long-term vision for rural areas’*, that will be published in the last quarter of 2020. The documents could potentially contribute to the public consultation process launched at EU level on these very important topics.
*See SHERPA Discussion Paper on the ‘Long-term vision for rural areas’.