The Rural Pact Conference (14-15 Sept) in Belgium — “From Vision to Action: Empowering Rural Areas for the Future” — took place at a pivotal moment in the legislative process shaping the next EU programming period.
Edina Ocsko, as Coordinator of SVNS and Member of the Rural Pact Coordination Group, participated in the high-level panel on the future of rural development policy. In her intervention, she highlighted that small rural communities are capable of delivering significant impact even with modest resources. However, she stressed that these communities too often find themselves “at the end of the queue” when it comes to accessing funding.
Edina underlined the need for the future policy framework to guarantee earmarked funding for community-led initiatives, ensuring that rural actors can meaningfully participate in EU programmes. She also emphasised the importance of targeted local capacity-building, enabling rural communities to effectively absorb funding and implement their initiatives.
The Smart Village Network also hosted a networking corner at the event on Smart Villages, with support from SVN members Ostana (Italy) and Olaszfa (Hungary) to present the work of the SVN. The networking corner also featured a dynamic speed dating session, giving participants the opportunity to exchange Smart Village ideas directly with representatives of Olaszfa, Gaiba, and County Kildare LEADER.