• The Rural Pact Support Office (RPSO) coordinates and implements the networking activities of the Rural Pact and its community to achieve the objectives of the Rural Pact and the long-term vision for rural areas in the European Union.
• The Office is led by the European Association for Innovation in Local Development (AEIDL)
• In 2023, several events will be organized to provide a physical and virtual space for the Rural Pact community.

The Rural Pact is part of the European Union's "Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas" Communication : a European Commission project to establish a roadmap for rural Europe by 2040.

The long-term vision for rural areas communication proposed the development of both the Rural Pact —a community created to elevate rural concerns to the highest possible political level—and a Rural Action Plan by the European Union, which is to provide political support to rural areas through the CAP and cohesion policy.

In January 2023, the European Commission launched the Rural Observatory , an entity which will be responsible for monitoring and developing the Rural Action Plan . And now it's the turn of the Rural Pact Support Office (RPSO) , the institution that will facilitate the networking of the Rural Pact and its community so that it can achieve its mission of amplifying rural voices and giving them a higher place on the European political agenda.

Duties

Thus, among its tasks are:

• Create community : to make commitments and take action.
• Identify and promote good practices that inspire other rural areas.
• Organize training webinars as well as high-level political events.
• Organize meetings of the Rural Pact Coordination Group .
• Dissemination of its activities through a website, social media, a monthly newsletter, and an annual magazine.

The Office is led by the European Innovation Partnership for Local Development (AEIDL) , a partner in the SHERPA project . AEIDL is a Brussels-based association that promotes innovation in rural areas through territorial development, employment, entrepreneurship, social inclusion, the environment, climate action, and green growth.

The Rural Pact Support Office is focused on providing support to the demands of the Rural Pact community: public authorities, non-governmental organizations, academic and research organizations, innovation organizations, businesses, and citizens.

The Office also seeks to create synergies and enhance the work of the European CAP Network , as well as the Broadband Competition Office Support Service (BCO-SF) , the Territorial Agenda for the EU and the Talent Booster Mechanism , among others, to achieve a common goal: to help make rural areas in Europe stronger, more connected, prosperous and resilient.

The Rural Pact community

It's still possible to join the Rural Pact community . In fact, this is the first step toward obtaining up-to-date information about the Pact. More than 1,300 organizations and individuals have joined to date.

The second stepis taking action . All members of the Rural Pact community are encouraged to explain how they want to act regarding their rural areas . The idea is to identify specific, time-bound actions that can help achieve one or more of the Rural Pact's objectives. In addition, all actions implemented will be evaluated.