Minister of Agriculture Armands Krauze will participate in the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting in Brussels on Monday, July 15th, where he with other EU agriculture ministers will discuss issues related to the viability of rural areas, EU external trade, as well as the main priorities of the Hungarian Presidency.
Approximately one-third of EU residents live in rural areas, which play a crucial role in food production, environmental conservation, and the protection of cultural heritage. Currently, the population in rural areas is declining, aging, and facing problems with underdeveloped infrastructure, lacking employment opportunities, as well as lack of access to services and connectivity.
To ensure that rural areas are resilient and prosperous, access to services must be developed, and jobs created to retain people, especially the younger generation, in rural areas.
"Developing rural areas requires closer cooperation between institutions representing various policies both at the EU and national levels. It is extremely important to maintain rural population density and to ensure that rural areas are places capable of providing quality living, working, and recreational conditions while preserving the scenic environment," notes Armands Krauze.
The implementation of the LEADER/CLLD approach significantly contributes to rural development. However, considering the challenges related to maintaining population density, infrastructure and service availability, business development, etc., the mandatory investment amount should be at least doubled. Since the LEADER/CLLD approach allows for a multifund approach by involving other funds, Latvia believes that the use of the CLLD approach should also be promoted in Cohesion Policy instruments by introducing a multifund approach.