Rural development must be treated as a strategic, cross-cutting priority in the EU’s next policy architecture. This was the key message during a stakeholders’ consultation on the Committee of the Regions (CoR) opinion on the “Future of Rural Development after 2027”.
Speaking during the consultation, Radim Sršen, Mayor of the Municipality of Dolní Studénk and CoR rapporteur called for a clearer, more accountable approach that matches the scale of the challenge and the importance of rural territories for Europe’s resilience, competitiveness, and cohesion. “Rural areas are changing and need transformation. If we want people to have a real right to stay, we must mobilise all policies and resources—based on evidence, partnership and place-based solutions.”
During the meeting he made a clear case for a more coherent approach. His key messages included:
✅ Rural development should be a core priority of cohesion policy, not only part of agricultural policy.
✅ We need rural-proofing and clear “tagging” of spending so we can see what funding truly reaches rural communities.
✅ A stronger evidence base is needed — including a clear definition of “rural” and better local-level monitoring.
✅ Local and regional authorities must be genuinely involved, with strong place-based tools like LEADER/CLLD and smart villages.
Rural–urban connections benefit everyone — not just rural communities. That’s why getting this right after 2027 matters.
Next steps
The consultation’s inputs will feed into ongoing work around the CoR opinion on the Future of Rural Development after 2027, including proposals to strengthen rural-proofing, improve monitoring, and reinforce partnership and multilevel governance in the post-2027 architecture.