PRESS RELEASE
November 7, 2015
For immediate use
All Europe shall live!
The rural people of Europe assert their rights!
At the Second European Rural Parliament, organized on November 4 – 6, in Schärding, Austria, where were gathered 240 participants representing rural communities from 40 European countries, was approved an ambitious European Rural Manifesto. It called for full recognition of rights of rural communities to a quality of life and standards of living equal to that of urban population, as to full participation to the political processes.
The Manifesto, which is advocating action on 30 key issues, resulted from national campaigns in the 40 European countries, involving many thousands of rural people.
They called for a refreshed and equitable partnership between people and governments. They recognized that rural people have a responsibility to act towards their own well – being, but demanded that governments at all levels, including the European institutions, work to make this partnership effective.
The European Rural Parliament called on the European Union to mount a major review of the condition of rural areas within EU. The conclusions from this review should be reflected in enhanced focus upon rural areas within all relevant EU programmes and funds. The European Rural Parliament campaign will continue over the next two years with a view to influencing the preparation of policies for the period beyond 2020.
We would like to benefit from the ongoing process of European Rural Parliament to enable rural communities.
The participants in the European Rural Parliament were aware that the city of Scharding, in which the gathering was held, is receiving 2000 refugees a day on their way across the border between Austria and Germany. For many rural areas this offers on opportunity to integrate refugees and other newcomers, given the necessary job creation, investment in housing, services and infrastructure. European Rural Parliament called for a warm – hearted response, based on solidarity between people.
The European Rural Parliament organizers will continue to enable actions called for within the manifesto, in co-operation with national and European partners, governments and institutions.
The gathering was attended by people from rural communities in almost all EU countries, plus Albania, Armenia, Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo, Iceland, Norway, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine.
More information can be found at www.europeanruralparliament.com
Contacts:
Joint Coordinators, European Rural Parliament 2015
Michael Dower (PREPARE) Tel: +44 1308 863515; e – mail: [email protected]
Vanessa Halhead (ERCA) Tel: +44 1381 600736 M; e – mail: [email protected]
PROJECT S4 (Organizers in Austria)
Thomas Müller Tel: +43 664 2214269; e – mail: [email protected]