Irish Regions Office Website

June 03, 2008

Rural & Aricultural Development on Urban Fringes

The Peri-Urban Regions Platform Europe (PURPLE) whose membership includes the Dublin Regional Authority held its biennial event in Brussels in late May. The network was established to develop a long-term vision in support of sustainable rural and agricultural development on the edges of cities. Discussions at its latest event, with Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel in attendance, centred on the Peri-Urban dimension of the Common Agricultural Policy. Emphasising the need to maintain competitive farming, natural beauty and vibrant economies in rural and peri-urban areas, the Commissioner recognised that agriculture continues to play a major role on the edge of cities. She advocated that emerging challenges must be faced and well-resourced policies developed. In particular she noted that “the time has come, at the European level, to think beyond the rural-urban divide and to recognise that peri-urban Regions, at the interface between urban and rural trends, are key to the equilibrium of the EU territory as a whole and to the well-being of its citizens.” View conference proceedings at: www.purple-eu.org

Posted by iroronan at June 3, 2008 04:46 PM