Cherry Tree Preserves

The European Union has an active rural development policy because this helps us to achieve valuable goals for our countryside and for the people who live and work there.

The EU's rural areas are a vital part of its physical make-up and its identity. According to a standard definition, more than *1 % of the territory of the EU is "rural", and this area is home to more than *6 % of the EU's population. Furthermore, the EU's fantastic range of striking and beautiful landscapes are among the things that give it its character – from mountains to steppe, from great forests to rolling fields.

Many of our rural areas face significant challenges. Some of our farming and forestry businesses still need to build their competitiveness. More generally, average income per head is lower in rural regions than in our towns and cities, while the skills base is narrower and the service sector is less developed. Also, caring for the rural environment often carries a financial cost.

On the other hand, the European countryside has a great deal to offer. It gives us essential raw materials. Its value as a place of beauty, rest and recreation – when we look after it – is self-evident. It acts as our lungs, and is therefore a battleground for the fight against climate change. And many people are attracted by the idea of living and/or working there, provided that they have access to adequate services and infrastructure.