The National Rural Network, a driver for rural areas

Local food procurement, preservation of the environment, the circular economy, as well as the maintenance of services and activities in rural areas: these are just some of the common issues around which the National Rural Network facilitates contacts between the actors involved in the sustainable development of rural areas (elected representatives, official departments and agencies, non-profit associations, unions, businesses, etc.).

Using a three-stage approach, the National Rural Network stands at the crossroads between the regions and supports regional leadership, its first task is to detect successful initiatives at local level. It then encourages their analysis and characterisation in order to make their adoption easier. And lastly, it drives their promotion in order to encourage other areas to reproduce the initiatives concerned.

The National Rural Network acts as a channel between the European and regional levels. It contributes to the European Rural Network, as do like networks in the other Member States, and seeks to ensure a good interface between its own activities and those of regional rural networks. In this way, it enhances the exchange of ideas and experience between actors and raises the profile of the most effective ways of supporting the development of dynamic rural areas.

The National Rural Network is a tool under the joint guidance of the Ministry of Agriculture, the General Commissariat for Regional Equality (CGET) and the Association of French Regions (ARF). It has been allocated a budget of €23 million from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) for the 2014-2020 period.