European Rural Voice is in action!

For some time now a number of European rural development organisations have been discussing the need to provide a common voice for European rural policy.

Despite the differences between countries, there are many uniting factors, and rural development policy is an innovative area of work. The European Union is developing consistently better "tools". In some Member States rural policy is already systematically implemented, in others this is just about to begin.

ERA will bring together European civil organisations which implement integrated and multisectoral rural development. ERA will also create and facilitate more discussion with those in the Commission as well as in the Member States.

Village and community movements have already been formed in more than ten European countries. Village activity is developing rapidly in these countries and similar movements are beginning in many others. One of ERA's tasks will be to found a European Rural Community Association - ERCA.  Village action has, and will have its individual characteristics everywhere, but despite some major differences there are a lot of common features in development work in small rural communities, and so this work can be developed together.

Clear experience shows that better results are achieved by strengthening participative, direct democracy. It increases the number of active people and the amount of private funding and the voluntary effort needed in development work. Also, whilst there are significant historical and national differences, the direction is clear - participative democracy will increase and it has to be encouraged and strengthened.

In European Union rural policy, the LEADER approach is a cross-sectoral and functional tool. Because of this, it is very suitable for rural development. It also increases effectively working and earning possibilities in rural areas. That is why both the European Union and all civil societies working in rural development should aim at broadening and strengthening this way of working.

The European Rural Alliance (ERA) was founded in September 2005 by rural movements from 16 countries and it was registered as an association in December 2007. The board consists of 9 people from different countries. Finland is responsible for the administration until the end of 2007. The first Chairman of ERA was the Professor Eero Uusitalo from Finland.

Since autumn 2007 the new chairman is Dr. Jela Tvrdonova from Slovakia

The board of directors is:
Staffan Bond, Sweden
Vanessa Halhead, Scotland (ERCA)
Goran Soster, Slovenia
Liisa Häme, Finland (PREPARE)
Donatas Saulenas, Lithuania
Inga Krekele, Latvia
Jela Tvrdonova, Slovakia, Chairman

Additional information:
Peter Baka, tel. +358 40 5950 444
email: peter.backa@ssc.fi
www.europeanrural.eu

ERA-english.pdf
ERA-french.pdf 
ERA statutes.doc