Consultation with Rural Pact Community Group on the Social Economy Action Plan and Rural Action Plan.

The European Commission invites members of the Social Economy Community Group of the Rural Pact to take part in an online consultation contributing to:

• the mid-term review of the Social Economy Action Plan (SEAP), and
• the update of the EU Rural Action Plan (RAP).

Rural areas, home to nearly one third of the EU’s population, face persistent demographic and socioeconomic challenges such as depopulation, ageing and limited access to services. The social economy plays a vital role in addressing these issues, fostering resilience, creating new opportunities for young people and maintaining essential services in rural territories.

The aim of the consultation is to gather participants’ views and ideas on how to strengthen the links between the social economy and rural development, identify key challenges and opportunities, and help shape the way forward to 2030. The background note and guiding questions are already available through the event page.

Date: 1 October 2025
Time: 10:00–12:00 CEST
Format: Online
Registration link available at the Social economy Rural Pact Community Group page (for members only, see below how to become a member in only a few minutes).

How to participate?

To take part in the consultation, you need to:

1. Be a member of the Rural Pact Community Platform
   Register here
   (See this short step-by-step guide).
   Registration is very easy and takes only a few minutes.
2. Join the Social Economy Community Group
    Join the group
3. Sign up for the consultation event
    Register via the event page

By joining the Rural Pact platform, you will also receive regular updates on rural development across the EU and invitations to participate in future events and consultations.