Cork Declaration 2.0 – A better life in rural areas

Having digested the content in more detail, it is pleasing to see some that there is an emerging sense of the need for a shift in European rural policy.  The first Cork Declaration was a major step towards the inclusion of broader rural development policies alongside direct agricultural support.  The new Declaration firmly embraces all types of economic activities in rural areas within its remit.

http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/events/2016/rural-development/cork-declaration-2-0_en.pdf

The need to bridge the digital divide, although not a headline, emerges clearly in the detail.  So to does the significance of urban-rural interdependence.  Rural places are increasingly connected through social and economic links to urban centres and beyond.  The implications for how we conceive of rural places and rural economies within diverse value chains and diverse social networks need greater attention but the fact that rural quality of life is clearly recognised in relation to economic outcomes is to be applauded.

I am sceptical about whether rural proofing can effectively be applied across Europe (it was hard enough in the UK) but any steps to bring rural areas to the attention of other policy departments is very much welcomed.  After all, it is the core services of education and health that make as much difference as any specifically “rural” policy in Europe’s more peripheral areas.

If/when the UK leaves the EU, this document can also provide a valuable reference point for DEFRA to think about how to tackle rural issues outside of the CAP.

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