The subject of the discussion was the strengthening of dialogue between urban and rural areas. The Slovenian Presidency prepared a document to guide the Ministers’ discussion, which included questions regarding, among others, the role of rural areas, the challenges they face, the coexistence of urban and rural areas, the role of the Common Agricultural Policy in reducing urban-rural disparities.

The Ministers agreed that the CAP cannot be the only policy supporting rural development. They also pointed to the importance of dialogue between rural and urban areas for the purpose of preventing and resolving potential conflicts. The meeting was also an opportunity to listen to the opinions of the representatives of the agricultural organisations COPA-COGECA and CEJA. The discussion concerned, among others, rural development and the role of women in rural areas, as well as rural youth.

In his speech, Undersecretary of State Ryszard Kamiński stressed that the role of rural areas in society and the challenges facing rural areas in Poland have been outlined in the 2030 Strategy for Sustainable of Rural Areas, Agriculture and Fisheries. They are highly convergent with those outlined by the EC in its Communication on a long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas.

He stressed that rural areas and cities are interdependent. Urban areas provide rural residents with access to the market and services, while rural areas are primarily a place for agricultural production and the preservation of forms of nature protection, as well as a place of settlement and recreation for urban residents who seek contact with nature and tradition in the countryside.

Deputy Minister Kamiński said that there are often difficulties in agreeing on land management plans or obtaining social consent for a specific project concerning large-scale agricultural activity (e.g. large-scale rearing). There are also conflicts among neighbours resulting from agricultural activity in rural areas, such as the application of plant protection products, application of organic fertilisers, noise and odours. These challenges will be addressed by the new strategic projects outlined in the Polish Order – a programme document the implementation of which involves, among others, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The Undersecretary of State assessed that further challenges regarding the coexistence of urban and rural areas concern cooperation in the construction and modernisation of infrastructure increasing territorial access to rural areas and access to public services offered in cities.

– In order to effectively meet the development challenges in rural areas, I believe that we need a holistic and coordinated approach, both within the framework of European policies (primarily, from the cohesion policy funds, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the Recovery and Resilience Facility, as well as programmes centrally implemented by the Commission) and domestic policies – said Deputy Minister Ryszard Kamiński.

Poland welcomes the introduction of a mechanism to verify the impact of the policies, as announced by the Commission, including, among others, the impact of the cohesion policy on rural development (rural proofing), in particular for the purpose of assessing the expected impact of major EU legislative initiatives on rural areas.