Rural areas must play a more prominent role in the Covid-19 recovery and reconstruction plan
RenewEurope organizes online event with top officials of the EU institutions
Rural areas must play a more prominent role in the Covid-19 recovery and reconstruction plan. With the right vision and appropriate policies in place, rural communities have the potential to drive the transition to a greener and more resilient Europe, to the benefit of both urban and rural dwellers.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, Werner Hoyer, President of the European Investment Bank, Michel Barnier, Head of the European Commission Task Force on future relations with the United Kingdom and former European Commissioner for Regional Development and Iratxe García Pérez, President of the S&D Group in the European Parliament will share with you their vision for harnessing the potential of rural areas.
The future is not just urban. Learning from the experiences of the Common Strategic Framework, engaging directly with stakeholders and anticipating the post-Brexit and new enlargement challenges, we must give a fresh new impetus to our vision for rural areas.
At a moment when the European Union is ready to take decisive steps to draw up its strategy for the 2021-2027 period, this seminar aims to set out a “one Europe” concept, closing the divide between rural and urban areas, East, West, North and South and establishing a roadmap for successful, sustainable and prosperous rural areas across our Continent.
*** Event interpretation will be offered in EN RO FR DE ES ****
Event Agenda
?14.30 – 15.00 – Opening session
▪️ Welcoming words by Dacian Cioloș, President of Renew Europe
▪️ Keynote address by Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission
▪️ Opening remarks by Werner Hoyer, President of the EIB
?15.00 – 15.30 – Placing rural areas at the top of EU recovery’s agenda
Chaired by Dacian Cioloș, with:
▪️ Michel Barnier, Head of Task Force for Relations with the United Kingdom, former European Commissioner for regional policy and former French Minister
▪️ Iratxe Garcia Perez, President of the S&D group in the European Parliament
▪️ Andrew McDowell, Vice-President of the EIB
?15.30 – 16.00 – Mobilising rural communities
Chaired by Hannes Lorenzen, Rural Networker, with:
▪️ Ilaria Signoriello, Farmer, National Forum for Social Agriculture, Italy
▪️ Katrina Idu, Latvian Rural Forum, European Rural Youth Parliament, Latvia
▪️ Petar Gjorgievski Balkan Rural Development Network, North Macedonia
▪️ Emilija Stojmenova-Duh University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
▪️ Francesca Whitlock, Farmer, European network for community-led initiatives on climate change and sustainability, (ECOLISE), Spain
?16.00 – 16.30 – Debate and questions from the floor
?16.30 – 17.00 – Closing session and conclusions by
▪️ Norbert Lins, Chair of the EP Agriculture Committee
▪️ Pascal Canfin Chair of the EP Environment Committee
▪️ Final remarks by Dacian Cioloș, President of Renew Europe ▪️