"Rural and intermediate regions, which constitute 91% of the EU's territory, are home to 61% of the EU's population, produce 43% of gross value added and host 56% of the EU's jobs, are currently under increased pressure due to cuts in funding. Time has come to address the growing urban-rural divide, which seriously threatens the principle of territorial cohesion in the EU"
This was the message from the Member of Viljandi City Council (Estonia) to the members of the EU's Committee of the Region's commission for Natural Resources (NAT).
In his draft own-initiative opinion on the Innovation and modernisation of the rural economy, the rapporteur calls for an integrated approach to rural development, and puts forward a series of key requests, including:
• Making more funds under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), available for rural development in the 2014-2020 programming period, and establishing a minimum percentage of the European Social Fund (ESF) for vocational training in rural areas, as well as limiting the transfer of funds under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) from the second to the first pillar;
• Drawing up a white paper to serve as the starting point for a post-2020 development policy for rural areas;
• Underlining the importance of the European Innovation Partnership for modernising rural economy as well as promoting agricultural innovation programmes and scientific research;
• Developing measures to stimulate small businesses' product development;
• Calling for more intensive efforts to develop high-speed internet and ICT knowledge in rural areas.
The draft opinion was warmly welcomed by an overwhelming majority of NAT members and is scheduled to be adopted at the February 2016 CoR plenary session.
