Participants of the 4th Balkan Rural Parliament, held in Bar, adopted a Declaration setting out a shared vision for the future of rural areas in the Western Balkans. The document also calls for the more active involvement of people living in rural communities in decision-making and public policy development processes.
The key priorities highlighted in the Declaration include reducing disparities between rural and urban areas, creating better opportunities for young people, supporting the green transition, strengthening local democracy, and developing more sustainable and resilient food systems.
A dedicated section of the Declaration presents policy recommendations concerning sustainable food systems and livelihoods in rural areas. These include developing short supply chains and local markets, simplifying administrative procedures for small producers, and strengthening regional cooperation to improve the availability and visibility of Western Balkan products in markets throughout the region.
The document also emphasises the importance of using digital solutions, including the AgriLife and e-box platforms, which can help small producers monitor product traceability, access advisory services and reach the market more easily.
By adopting the Declaration, the participants once again confirmed that a sustainable future for rural areas can only be built through the active participation of and cooperation with the people who live and work in these areas.
The 4th Balkan Rural Parliament was supported by the Central European Initiative Cooperation Fund (CEI), the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany through GIZ and the Regional Climate Partnership between Germany and the Western Balkans, the European Union-funded project “Farm to Fork Academy for Green Western Balkans – Our Shared European Future”, RIBES – Regional Inclusive Biobased Entrepreneurship Solutions, and SWG – the Regional Rural Development Standing Working Group in South Eastern Europe.
You can read the Croatian version of the Declaration HERE.
The English version is available HERE.
