Ruralni razvoj

What are the challenges?

Agriculture and rural areas in the Western Balkans face a number of challenges. On the one hand, there is a need to invest significant effort and resources in adaptation to EU standards and rules, in light of future accession to the EU and the need to be capable of facing the single market with its competitive agriculture and agri-food sector. This requires continuous restructuring of farms and enterprises involved in the processing and marketing of food products.

On the other hand, there is a need to respond to the same challenges as those faced by EU partners: building competitive and sustainable farming, able to respond to environmental and climate-related challenges, strengthening its resilience and adaptation capacities. The Western Balkans have to strengthen their effort to make rural areas sufficiently attractive as a place to live and work and to avoid a brain drain of young people leaving rural areas for the cities of the region or beyond.

To achieve this objective, investments in skills building, the digitalisation of rural business and areas, diversification of activities, provision of basic services in rural areas and upgrading of rural infrastructure are necessary. These priorities cannot be implemented without taking care of the natural environment, which is key for the agricultural activities which represent farming communities’ livelihood, but also for creating healthy and sustainable rural areas.

These objectives reflect the objective of the EU Common Agricultural Policy to ensure a fair standard of living for farmers and provide a stable and safe food supply at affordable prices for consumers, while meeting high environmental and animal welfare standards. Like EU Member States, candidate countries will also have to ensure their farming sectors’ contribution to the Green Deal and Green Agenda objectives aimed at promoting the use of sustainable farming methods and ensuring the transition towards a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system.