International Rural Pact Policy Action Lab brings EU representatives to Kotka region

International Rural Pact Policy Action Lab brings EU representatives to Kotka region

More than 150 international visitors are expected to attend the Rural Pact Policy Action Lab event in Kotka on 29 September-1 October. This is the first time the Policy Action Lab is held outside Brussels. The focus of the event is on conditions that support a competitive and diversified rural economy and improve the attractiveness of rural areas.

The Policy Action Lab offers an excellent opportunity to tell EU policymakers about the long-
term and productive work done in Finland to promote rural development.

The event will be
opened by Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Pekka Pesonen
and Deputy Director General of DG Agri Pierre Bascou.

The programme includes examples of Finnish rural development projects and local action in
Southeast Finland. Vesa Ristimäki will talk about his business at the Pyhtää Culture House
and Tuomo Puhakainen, with his more than 45 years of experience in telecommunications,
will explain the various phases of the optical fibre projects in Parikkala and Rautjärvi. Village
activist Kaisa Pethman will speak about development work at the Vuolenkoski village.
Professor of Regional Studies and Economic Geography Teemu Makkonen from the
University of Eastern Finland will explore rural development from the perspective of research.

The event is organised by the Rural Pact Support Office in cooperation with the Finnish
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Finnish Rural Network and the Finnish Rural Policy
Council. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry joined the Rural Pact in March, and the event
is part of the implementation of the EU rural vision.

"The other EU countries clearly appreciate Finland's long-term efforts to develop rural areas,
as we will be the first country to host a Rural Pact event outside Brussels. Visitors from the EU
are highly interested in our geopolitical situation and systematic and long-term work on
preparedness, and we will be happy to tell them about these," says Sanna Sihvola, Senior
Ministerial Adviser at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

The Policy Action Lab aims to identify concrete measures and reforms at the EU level to be
used in the discussions related to the future National and Regional Partnership Plans (NRPPs).

Rural Pact is part of the Rural Vision 2040 - everyone is welcome to join in

The Rural Pact is part of the EU's long-term vision for rural areas that extends to 2040,
launched by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in 2022.

The vision is based on a public consultation according to which 40 per cent of the residents of
rural areas and 60 per cent of the residents of remote rural areas felt that they have been
forgotten.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry promotes the EU's long-term rural vision through ten
objectives.

The aim is to prepare a rural policy report, improve rural proofing at all levels of government
and identify and recognise the role of rural areas as a significant element in terms of both food
security and the wellbeing of the whole country. Besides these, the Rural Pact aims to
strengthen national and regional plans where rural development will continue to have a strong
role in future as well.

All stakeholders that wish to act for the benefit of the EU's long-term rural vision are welcome to
join the Rural Pact.

Read more: Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry joins the EU Rural Pact (in Finnish)

Inquiries: Policy Action Lab: Meri Kiikkala
EU rural vision: Marianne Selkäinaho

The email addresses follow the format: [email protected]

Link to the event