Organiser: Information Center "Green Dossier"

Format: online

In the European Union, rural development is the second pillar of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). It is not only about supporting farmers but also about investing in local infrastructure, social services, innovation, and environmental solutions. The EU has set ambitious goals: reducing greenhouse gas emissions, restoring biodiversity, and adapting to climate change. Communities are becoming key players, as green transformations are implemented locally.

The European Commission has created the Rural Pact – a platform that brings together communities, businesses, authorities, and civil society organizations to achieve the goals of the long-term vision for rural areas by 2040. The community-led local development (CLLD) approach and the LEADER initiative prove that successful change is possible when communities are equal participants, not just recipients of policies.

For Ukraine, the transition from “agricultural development” to a comprehensive vision of rural development opens new opportunities. It is important to understand how environmental aspects are integrated into EU policies and how they can become real tools for Ukrainian communities in the context of future accession to the CAP.

During this discussion on rural development, speakers will address the following questions:

• What environmental requirements are embedded in the CAP and other EU rural development policies?

• How is the environmental dimension taken into account in national and local development strategies in Ukraine?

• How to make communities see environmental measures not as limitations, but as opportunities for development?

Representatives of rural communities, analysts, NGOs, and all those interested in Ukraine’s European integration and sustainable rural development are warmly invited to join the online discussion.