We are pleased to announce that the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), having worked with Rurality-Environment-Development, Euromontana and the FREE initiative to form a formal parliamentary intergroup on Rural, Mountainous and Remote Areas (RUMRA). The intergroup for Rural, Mountainous and Remote areas will be chaired by Mercedes Bresso, MEP, a former President of the Committee of the Regions.
In the coming five years the intergroup will aim at addressing all aspects of the rural economy and ensuring that the opportunity gap between urban and rural areas is being closed. The Intergroup will work towards preventing further social, economic and technological exclusion of rural, mountainous and remote areas and their inhabitants and ensuring that rural issues are addressed structurally and consistently. The Rumra Intergroup will share and address concerns of citizens and businesses located in rural remote areas at the EU policy level.
The Intergroup will also help forming links between MEPs and civil society, bringing case studies and examples from across European rural areas to the attention of policymakers, to promote best practices.
The FREE initiative will be responsible for the management of the sub-group on Climate Change and Energy, Chaired by Ms. Bresso, MEP.
The intergroup on Rural, Mountainous and Remote Areas will be officially launched on 12 March 2015 at an event in Strasbourg, France and will exist until 2019. We will be keeping you updated on its activities throughout this time.