The 222nd External Bureau Meeting is taking place in Logroňo, Spain. The Bureau features a high-level debate on the future of rural development in the face of demographic challenges and climate change.
Rural areas across the European Union are facing long term systemic challenges including depopulation, shrinking labour force, the lack of essential services, and insufficient investments to respond swiftly to the green and digital transitions. By adopting the Logroño declaration on Ensuring the development of thriving and vibrant rural areas, European local and regional leaders will urge the European Union institutions to fully involve and support rural areas for the success of the European project.
As pointed out in the CoR's Annual Report on the State of the regions and cities in EU, 30 million people will have left Europe's rural areas between 1993 and 2033. This risks having severe consequences for the EU's sustainable development, economic growth, farmers livelihood and agri-food production, climate-neutrality goals, provision of public services, social well-being and democracy. Furthermore, the climate crisis and biodiversity loss are having a significant negative impact on the agri-food sector.
The agenda and other meeting documents are available on the Members' Portal.