16.30
17.30
18.30

17.00-18.00

 Welcome from the three co-initiators of European Rural Parliament

Āris Ādlers, President of PREPARE,
Marion Eckardt, President of ELARD,
Tom Jones, President of ERCA.

 Opening speeches

Janusz Wojciechowski, European Commissioner for Agriculture,
Anna Gembicka, Deputy Minister of Agriculture,
Krzysztof Ardanowski, on behalf of the President of Republic of Poland,
Andrzej Bętkowski, Marshal of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship/Region.

 Welcome to Kielce and Poland from the host organizations

Paweł Krzeczunowicz, Polish Rural Network, Director of Brwinów Agricultural Advisory Centre, Warsaw Branch Office,
Piotr Sadłocha, Director of LAG Association for the Świętokrzyskie Rural Area Development.

Cultural activity, networking dinner.

Transfers from the venue to hotels.

STUDY VISITS DAY
13 September 2025 (Tuesday)

Transfers from hotels to the venue.

Registration.

Study visits. Full information you can find here

Tour No. 1. Entrepreneurship development and traditional local products. Local Action Group „Around the Łysa Góra mountain”.

Tour No. 2. Creative tourism development and local products. Local Action Group „Around the Łysa Góra mountain”.

Tour No. 3. Tourism and recreation in the rural area, local products. Local Action Group “Black Nida Pearls”.

Tour No. 4. Gender equality and employment access, entrepreneurship support, climate protection and passive building. Local Action Group "Bobrza River Basin".

Tour No. 5. Green energy, preventing climate change and health-related tourism. Local Action Group "Royal Ponidzie".

Tour No. 6. Entrepreneurship development and tourism in rural areas. Local Action Group "White Meadows”.

Tour No. 7. Jobs, green energy, mitigating climate change, care for the elderly. Local Action Group "The Association for the Świętokrzyskie Rural Area Development".

Tour No. 8. Smart Villages.

Tour No. 9. Supporting entrepreneurship, cultural heritage of the countryside, sport and recreation. Local Action Group "By the Black and Pilica Rivers".

Tour No. 10. Cultivating folk traditions, culture in rural areas, health and recreation. Association Local Action Group "Together on the Sandstone".

CONNECTING AND NETWORKING ACTIVITIES ON THE FUTURE OF RURAL EUROPE

Rural World Café by Youth
Young people from all around the wider Europe invite participants to mindful conversations and inspirational experience exchanges on topics that trigger youth. A fresh view of key rural development questions!

Stands by partners
Tastes from all across Europe. Exhibitions and information about national and local initiatives from participants.

Message walls
Ideas and messages of the participants to rural people, governments and EU on various topics. Interviews of participants.

WORKSHOPS DAY
14 September 2025 (Wednesday)

Transfers from hotels to the venue.

INTRODUCTION TO THE 5th EUROPEAN RURAL PARLIAMENT

Inspiration from and for Rural Europe

Moderators:
Paweł Krzeczunowicz, Polish Rural Network, Director of Brwinów Agricultural Advisory Centre, Warsaw Branch Office,
Kim Smedslund, PREPARE Secretary General.

Speakers:

Karen Keaveney, Assistant Professor and Head of Rural Development subject, University College Dublin,

Stories from Rural Europe

Aurelia Bondari, Executive Director at Agroinform Moldova,
Sofiya Burtak, Business Network of Rural Women,
Levin Petersen, Young Islander, Germany.

PANEL ON THE FUTURE OF EUROPE

Moderator:
Hannes Lorenzen, President of ARC2020

Speakers:
Marion Eckardt, President of ELARD,
Katrina Idu, President of Forum Synergies,
Normunds Popens, Deputy Director General for Implementation and International Relations DG Regional Policy,
Radim Sršeň, Deputy Minister of Regional Development of the Czech Republic, Vice-chairman of the NAT Commission of the European Committee of the Regions,
Goran Šoster, Vice President of PREPARE,
Toma Šutić, Cabinet of Vice President for Democracy and Demography, European Commision.

1^st ROUND OF RURAL WORKSHOPS

WS place in the Sessions may be changed after the full registrations of participants! Full information you can find here.

W1. Smart Future villages in Europe.
Room: S3
Speaker:
Edina Ocsko, Director of E40.

W3. Rural Pact – Village pact.
Room: E3
Moderator:
Klaske Piebenga, LVKK Dutch Association of Villages,
Speaker:
Ben Van Essen, ERCA nad LVKK Dutch Association of Villages.

W5. Rural Europe in action. No more business as usual.
Room: S2
Moderators:
Katrina Idu, Forum Synergies,
Hanes Lorenzen, President of ARC2020.

W6. Towards a real rural local development policy.
Room: S6
Speaker:
Kim Smedslund, Finnish Village Movement Association.

W8. Rural Proofing.
Room: Lambda
Moderator:
Tom Jones, President of ERCA,
Speaker:
Jane Atterton, SRUC Scotland's Rural College.

W9. Small Community schools.
Room: S4
Moderator:
Alina Kozińska Bałdyga, Polish Rural Forum.

W11. Meeting social challenges.
Room: T2
Moderator:
Peter Tóth, European Network for Rural Development.

W13. LEADER/CLLD : 30 years of success and showing added value.
Room: Alfa
Speakers:
Eva Lindström, Member of the European Court of Auditors,
Iwona Lisztwan, EC, DG Agriculture and Rural Development,
Radim Sršeň,  Deputy Minister of Regional Development of the Czech Republic; Vice-chairman of the NAT Commission CoR,
Marion Eckardt, President of ELARD,
Kristiina Tammets, Vice-President of Estonian LEADER Union.

W14. Introduction of the Armenian LEADER initiative.
Room: Beata (Ukrainian translation)
Speaker:
Marta Marczis, UNDP Armenia.

W16. Energy communities.
Room: E1
Moderator:
Rafał Serafin, Polish Rural Forum.

W17. Community climate actions.
Room: Teta (Polish translation)
Moderator:
Davie Philip, ECOLISE.

W20. Does anyone listen? Intensifying the science, policy and practitioner trialogue and closing research gaps relevant for rural people.
Room: T1
Speaker:
Joanna Storie, Estonian University of Life Sciences.

W21. Polirural H2020: Future Oriented Collaborative Policy Development for Rural Areas and People: measuring the attractiveness of rural areas.
Room: Kappa
Slovak Rural Parliament.

W23. Rural Tourism, trends and possibilities.
Room: Gamma (Polish translation)
Speaker:
Āris Ādlers, PREPARE.

W30. Meeting the needs of Rural communities.
Room: Delta (Polish translation)
Moderators:
Piroska Kallay, Lidija Pavić-Rogošić, European Economic and Social Committee.

2^nd ROUND OF RURAL WORKSHOPS

WS place in the Sessions may be changed after the full registrations of participants! Full information you can find here.

W1. Smart Future villages in Europe.
Room: S3
Speaker:
Edina Ocsko, E40, Finnish village movement.

W2. Village Networks and Rural Movements.
Room: Kappa
Moderator:
Vanessa Halhead, ERCA,
Speaker:
Artemis Pana, Scottish Rural Action.

W4. Future of Rural Europe.
Room: Teta (Polish translation)
Moderator:
Kim Smedslund, PREPARE Secretary General .

W7. A Rural Agenda.
Room: S2
LEADER-France.

W10. Care farming.
Room: Gamma (Polish translation)
Moderator:
Konrad Stępnik, Polish Rural Forum.

W12. LEADER/CLLD: Total or global LEADER.
Room: Delta (Polish translation)
Moderator:
Juan Ménendez Lázaro, READER.


Amelie Krug, Niana Klein, ECOLISE.

W18. Green and Blue infrastructure in the context of Climate change.
Room: T2
Moderator:
Andrzej Hałasiewicz, Polish Rural Forum.

W19. Rural trends, scenarios and solutions – views from 20 multi actor platforms.
Room: E1
Moderators:
Barbara Wieliczko, Katarzyna Giżińska, SHERPA.

W22. Job creation in rural areas.
Room: S6
Moderators:
Urszula Budzich-Tabor, Jacek Węsierski, Polish Rural Forum.

W24. Short supply chains.
Room: Beta (Ukrainian translation)
Moderator:
Ryszard Kamiński, Polish Rural Forum.

W25. A boost to local economy, small-scale economy, territorial solutions.
Room: S4
Moderator:
Goran Šoster, Vice President PREPARE.

W26. How can digital and new technologies make communities thrive?
Room: Alfa
Moderators:
Enrique Nieto, Cesar Lopez, Leanspots.

W28. Social economy and social entrepreneurship.
Room: E3
Moderator:
Magdalena Curillova, Vipa Slovakia.

W29. Self-commitment and local decision makers.
Room: S5
Moderator:
Anelia Kana, Kodukant.

W31. Youth employment in rural areas - Cowork4YOUTH.
Room: Lambda
Moderator:
Jela Tvrdonova, Národná sieť MAS,
Speakers:
Elish Kelly, The Economic and Social Research Institute,
Emīls Lukjanskis, NGO "All Opportunities".

ACTIVITIES FOR INSPIRATION AND EXCHANGE ON THE FUTURE OF RURAL EUROPE

CONVERSATION CAFÉ: The quest for a good life within planetary boundaries.
Forum Synergies and ECOLISE
A space to imagine and exchange on the role of rural communities as gamechangers in the quest for a good life within planetary boundaries.

This session will provide the opportunity to connect with others around the potential of bringing the European Green Deal to the local level.

How can we drive transformational change towards regenerative local development with the combined power of Local Action Groups and community-led local development?

ERP partners meeting
Discussion on ERP-partnership, its role and future actions.

Message walls
Ideas and messages of the participants to rural people, governments and EU on various topics. Interviews of participants.

Stands by partners
Exhibitions and information about national and local initiatives from participants.

POLICY DAY
15 September 2025 (Thursday)

08.00-08.30

STATE OF PLAY AND MASSAGES FROM EUROPE

ERP partners’ panel discussion - voices from the diverse European rural realities

Moderator:
Vanessa Halhead, Coordinator of ERCA.

Speakers:
Hartmut Berndt, BAG LAG, Germany,
Magdalena Curillova, Slovak Rural Parliament,
Magnus Ek, Hela Sverige ska leva, Sweden,
Irene Martin, REDR, Spain,
Miodrag Matavulj, Rural Development Network, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Theona Morrison, Scotish Rural Action, United Kingdom.

Messages from Gathering participants
Results from Workshops, Visits, Cafés and Networking.

Voice of youth. Break the walls. Climate actions for future rural Europe. Rural (social) challenges.

Moderators:
Kims Smedslund, Urszula Budzich-Tabor, PREPARE.

RURAL PACT AND RURAL PROOFING

Speaker:
Alexia Rouby, DG for Agriculture and Rural Development

PANEL DISCUSSION ON RURAL PACT

Moderator:
Anita Seļicka, Director of Latvian Rural Forum, Council member of ELARD.

Speakers:
Joanna Gierulska, Director of Common Agriculture Policy Department, Ministry of Agriculture,
Thibaut Guignard, Member of Chamber of Local Authorities, President of LEADER France,
Tom Jones, President of ERCA,
Marta Marczis, President of AEIDL,
Mario Milouchev, DG for Agriculture and Rural Development,
Lidija Pavić-Rogošić, Member of the European Economic and Social Committee.

CLOSING CEREMONY AND FUTURE ACTIONS