"There are demographic and climatic challenges that require new efforts to adapt rural areas. Basic infrastructure and public services as well as digital transformation can help reduce the gap in employment and opportunities between rural and urban areas. We are in an ideal historical moment to accelerate changes". Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla, CoR Rapporteur on the Long-term vision for rural areas made these remarks during an exchange of views held during a hybrid NAT Commission meeting of the CoR. Moreno Bonilla said that rural areas are essential spaces due to their natural environment and since they site important activities such as food production. "The pandemic has made the importance of rural areas clear and hence they deserve more attention."
The President of Andalusia encouraged Member States and Regional Governments to prioritize rural areas in all actions including the use of the 2021-2027 CAP programme, cohesion funds and the recovery and resilience plans. Moreno Bonilla also shared good practices from his region that can support rural areas including the strategy against demographic change, the program for the promotion of employment in the agricultural sector to guarantee generational change in the Andalusian countryside and the development and implementation of digital public services in rural areas.
Franc Bogovič, Co-chair of the RUMRA & Smart Villages Intergroup and MEP from the EPP Group in the European Parliament emphasized the importance of including companies in the long-term vision in order to reach the set goals. He referred to the smart villages forum under the Slovenian Presidency which will connect decision makers with businesses.
Ellen Nauta-Van Moorsel, Mayor of Hof van Twente and President of the Dutch delegation in the CoR called on the European Commission to facilitate exchange of best practices between local and regional authorities.
Radim Sršeň, Mayor of the Municipality of Dolní Studénky said that rural areas initiatives should be financed through different resources and welcomed the horizontal principle taken by the European Commission stressing the need to find synergies to successfully implement a long term vision for rural areas.
Manuel Garcia Felix, Mayor of La Palma del Condado spoke on the need of having a holistic approach regarding rural area development in order to tackle demographic issues, broadband and digital transformation.
Fight against forest fires in Attica region
During a discussion on EU matters for regions and cities Georgios Patoulis, Governor of Attica region spoke on the fire crisis faced by his region during the summer period. "Forests and natural resources are threatened by climate change. In my region it is clear that climate protection is important and forests play a crucial role. Climate change has become a crisis: scientists and the UN are constantly saying that these extreme events will get worse and we must be prepared. Patoulis explained that forest fires in Greece have wiped out a substantial part of the GDP of the country thus showing that climate crises also have a big economic impact.
Europe's Beating Cancer Plan
Birgitta Sacrédeus presented her opinion on Europe's Beating Cancer Plan. She stressed that cancer concerns all in one way or another. "The Beating Cancer Plan is an important strategy to address the challenge of the increased number of cancers, to support prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment as well as to improve the quality of life of those affected and their dependents."
Bartosz Arłukowicz, MEP from the EPP Group in the European Parliament and Chair of the BECA Committee at the European Parliament said "We need a European Mechanism for health that makes no regional differences for patients. Citizens across Europe must have the same healthcare. No one should suffer from less care just because they were born in a different country."
Olgierd Geblewicz, President EPP-CoR Group and President of West Pomerania Region said that several hospitals are run by local and regional authorities. In this regard he stressed "If we want to unify standards and improve the health for patients we must have a European health policy that applies all over Europe."
Earlier on today the CoR Rapporteur held an exchange of views with Health Commissioner Kyriakides and MEPs. The Opinion is planned to be adopted at the CoR Plenary of 03/12/2021.
Strengthening EU health policy framework
Members held a debate on the contribution of NAT to the conference on the Future of Europe. Samuel Azzopardi, President of the Region of Gozo and EPP-CoR NAT Coordinator spoke on the need of the EU to be able to declare its own health emergencies. He added "Pandemics do not stop at borders. Therefore, we need to increase our cross-border cooperation and coordination. We need to be ready for the next crisis before it happens."
Birgitta Sacrédeus, member of Dalarna Regional Council said that the Covid-19 crisis showed the importance of a common European approach in fighting health emergencies and how vital it is to strengthen EMA and ECDC.
External activities for 2021/2022
During the NAT Commissions meeting, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, President of Galicia Region was entrusted with organising next year's NAT external meeting on "A distinct model of tourism in Europe: the Camino de Santiago. Pilgrimage, tourism and natural landscapes."
EPP-CoR member Arno Kompatscher, President of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano and Regional Councillor was chosen to host a NAT seminar between 11thand 14th May 2022 in South Tyrol on Sustainability in Europe's Rural Regions.