Rural Europe on the move English_E_version_all | Page 8

Dacian CioloS
'
Member of the European Parliament,
former European Commissioner for Agriculture
and Rural Development (2010-2014)
I.Foreword
E
urope is a good place to live in. development, engaging all rural looking back at how things evolved in
Being exposed to critical news, stakeholders and communities in my country, I know that empowering
we may sometimes forget that. Rural the process is an imperative, not a communities on matters such as
Europe IS one of the most diverse possibility. Real transition can be rural development is essential. It is a
and attractive living countrysides in achieved only if everyone is on board difficult task, because rural regions
the world. Still, that is not naturally and if we do not forget that farmers are more exposed to economic
given. The landscape we may enjoy not only produce our food, but are constraints, migration, weak
as visitors in villages, fields and also the cornerstone of rural life and infrastructure or poor public services. I
forests, has been hard work with the foundation of rural economy. know from my own home region how
good practice of many generations of
farmers, foresters and rural people.
More than ever local mobilisation,
challenging and demanding this can
community initiatives, and networking be, but I also believe that this is the
must be our daily practice to only way forward – and we have many
problems in rural regions. Farmers renew rural areas. Building honest success stories showing the power of
and rural enterprises are increasingly partnerships between rural community driven dynamics. We need
exposed to global market trends stakeholders and governments to find better ways of communication,
and competition. Rural jobs are must be on our common agenda. exchange of experience, public
scarce. Young people tend to find Movement has to come from the debate and even constructive
urban life more attractive. On top communities themselves, but it has to confrontation with the challenges we
of that, environmental and climate be supported by decision makers and face. We must find answers together,
challenges demand new practices policies. It is a two-way process that we cannot afford to wait for solutions
and investments. There is not just one requires not only a lot of effort, but to come from above.
solution to make rural Europe fit for also the right tools to make it possible.
Today we face a number of serious
the future. We have many.
When it comes to sustainable,
or call it long term resilient rural
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From my personal experience,
This travel guide to rural Europe,
with its very personal stories of
coming from a member state which people from across the continent, is a
joined the EU at a later stage, and highlight of the potential of local rural