29 February 2008, Lillehammer, Oppland (N)

Conference on Future of Rural Development policy and rural Regions

As reaffirmed by a recent OECD report, the challenges for rural regions now and in the years ahead are serious: many rural regions face problems of decline with out-migration, ageing, a lower skills-base, lower than average labour productivity, isolation, lack of infrastructure and difficulties with public service provision, particularly in the most remote regions.

How can rural regions face these challenges and find their place in the global context of increased competition? This question was at the heart of the conference, organised in Lillehammer on 29 February 2008 by the Assembly of European Regions (AER), at the kind invitation of Oppland County, Norway.

The objective of our reflection was to put forward concrete recommendations for future EU rural development policy, and also to identify and disseminate information on innovative tools and methods for diversifying the economy of rural areas.

The forthcoming debate on the EU budget review for 2007-2013, the on-going "health-check"of the CAP, and also the wider current debate about climate change and biodiversity provided the right context for our debate.

The conference was preceded by a plenary meeting of Committee 1, on 28 February 2008 and meetings of the working groups. For further details on the outcomes of these events, please click here!

All outcomes are available below. For further information, you can also contact Estelle DELANGLE, at the AER Committee 1 secretariat (+33 388 22 74 38)

Final Declaration

Documents

Conference Programme

List of participants

Conference brochure

General Program of the Events

Conference presentations

Session 1: Future of Rural Development policy

Update about the European Context: which place for rural development in future CAP and other EU policies with territorial impact (such as cohesion policy, the EU energy strategy)?
- Intervention by Soeren Kissmeyer-Nielsen
  Head of Unit, Responsable for rural development, DG Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
- Intervention by Neil Parish
  Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, European Parliament
- Presentation of the European Rural Development Network Structures
  2nd intervention by Soeren Kissmeyer-Nielsen
The regional perspective
- The opinion of Carinthia (A) on the CAP health check and the role of rural areas
  Intervention by Dr Josef Martinz, Minister for Agriculture of Carinthia
- The activities of Limousin Region (F) in favour of a sustainable rural development
  Intervention by Claude Tremouille, President of Limousin

SESSION II: Second homes as an opportunity for rural areas?

Why talking about second homes?
- Introduction by Marit Vorkinn
  Advisor within the department of regional development, Oppland County Council
Second homes in a regional development perspective
- Intervention by Aksel Hagen
  County Councillor Oppland and Chairman of the AER working group on rural development
The commercial opportunities of multiple dwelling
- Intervention by Thor Flognfeldt
  Tourism researcher, Lillehammer University College
Second homes in Eastern Europe
- Intervention by Jiri Vágner
  Ph.D, Charles University in Prague, Department Of Social Geography and Regional Development
Second homes in the Alps
- Intervention by Dr. Manfred Perlik
  Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETHZ), Institute for Spatial and Landscape Planning, Zurich

CONCLUDING SESSION: Delivering sustainable rural land management in a changing Europe

Urban-rural dynamics in Europe
- intervention by Angelika Poth-Mögele
  Political Director of Council of European Municipalities and Regions
Future policies for rural Europe 2013 and beyond
- intervention and concluding remarks by Chris Horseman
  Editorial Director, Agra Europe

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