Euromontana supports the establishment of a new intergroup at the European Parliament, SMART Villages for Rural Communities: Sparsely populated, Mountainous And Rural Territories. Focused on the rural development of mountainous, rural and sparsely populated territories, this intergroup will be a chance to reflect on the needs and specificities of these areas. Through trans-partisan political debates, open events and discussions, the intergroup will bring more visibility to these areas, facing various challenges but also offering a high quality of life.
An inaugural event of the “SMART Villages for Rural Communities: Sparsely populated, Mountainous And Rural Territories” intergroup was organised on July 16, 2019, in Strasbourg’s European Parliament. This is the third intergroup supported by Euromontana which directly addresses the issues of mountainous territories:
- The first intergroup on mountain-related topics, Intergroup 174, was set up back in 2009 to highlight the specificities of territories mentioned in article 174 of the TFEU.
- The second intergroup, RUMRA, was chaired by former MEP Mercedes Bresso and vice-chaired, among others, by MEP Franc Bogovič.
With the new intergroup SMART Villages for Rural Communities for Sparsely Populated, Mountainous and Rural Territories, Euromontana and associated organisations wish to find tailored innovative solutions for the development of Europe’s mountain areas. MEPs will have the chance to discuss the topic during plenary sessions in Strasbourg and on different occasions with partners organisations.
More MEPs are invited to join this exciting and very much needed initiative for rural and mountainous Europe! Join the wave of support by disseminating the intergroup manifesto and encouraging your MEP to join us!
If you need more information on the functioning and creation process of intergroup, please read our article (for members only).
23 September 2019
