On September 17, 2021, in view of the upcoming EU Rural Pact, the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC), in cooperation with Whole-COMM, MATILDE, WELCOMING SPACES, MIMY and SHARE, organized a meeting with the EU Commission to start a conversation about opportunities in rural areas for the inclusion of newcomers.
On June 30, 2021, the European Commission published the Long Vision for EU-Rural Areas towards 2040, an initiative to develop a common EU vision which will inform future policies. By the end of 2021, the European Commission intends to launch the EU Rural Pact, which will provide a common framework for the engagement and cooperation of a wide range of actors at the EU, national, regional and local level. The Pact will be accompanied by a Rural Action Plan, articulated around flagship initiatives.
Within this framework, it seemed important to start the conversation with the European Commission about opportunities in rural areas for the inclusion of newcomers, profiting from the first results of EU funded projects, focusing on international/internal migration flows with respect to rural, mountainous and remote regions.
During this session, Alexia Rouby (EC), Danila Conte (EC) Matyas Szabo (EC), Vincent Catot (EC), Andrea Membretti (MATILDE), Andrea Soler (SHARE), Annelies Zoomers (Welcoming Spaces), Birte Nienaber (MIMY), Tiziana Caponio (Whole COMM) and Petra Hueck (ICMC) shared reflection and initial insights on the intersection between migration and rural and remote areas, and its connection with the EU Rural Vision along with the EU Rural PACT.
This meeting represented an opportunity to learn more from the Commission about the new Rural Vision and the opening scenario, as well as gain a keen understanding of the next steps in order to ensure synergies with the existing networks involved.
Photo by Guillaume Périgois on Unsplash
