France Ruralités provides an action plan to improve the daily life of the inhabitants of rural areas, where a feeling of relegation sometimes prevails.
By VD with AFP
© Marlene Awaad / MAXPPP / IP3 PRESS/MAXPPP
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ATTechnical support to accelerate projects in villages, funding to protect rural natural areas, medical buses… Matignon unveiled the outlines of its France Ruralités plan on Wednesday, which Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne is due to announce on Thursday during a trip to Vienne. . This plan of around forty measures is the culmination of “a year of particularly intense partnership work centered on the issue of territorial equity”, i.e. “how we ensure that all territories, and in particular rural territories , the same opportunities”, explained Matignon during a press briefing.
To meet the challenges specific to the rural world, which represents 22 million inhabitants and 90% of the surface area of France, four axes have been defined. A Villages for the Future program will be launched to help rural municipalities carry out their projects (like programs for the “revitalization” of city centers such as Action Coeur de Ville). And 100 “engineering” project managers will be recruited by the State and deployed in the prefectures.
Improving the daily lives of residents
Among the other highly anticipated measures, the villages will be remunerated thanks to the “biodiversity” allocation, which will be increased from 42 million euros “to more than 100 million euros” to protect “rural amenities”, namely spaces protected natural areas (natural parks) but also areas that currently have no market value (soils, forests, ponds, wetlands, etc.) for municipalities.
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Rural territories “represent extremely important challenges in terms of carbon sinks, agricultural transition, production of renewable energies and this role […] places them at the heart of ecological planning,” commented Matignon. France Ruralités also provides for an action plan which concerns “all the ministries” in order to improve the daily lives of the inhabitants of rural areas, where a feeling of relegation sometimes prevails.
100 “medico-buses” launched
On the transport side, a fund of 90 million euros over three years will help communities deploy “innovative” mobility services so that people “are less dependent on their car”. Faced with the deterioration of buildings in certain town centres, a “vacancy exit bonus” will be put in place to put real estate back on the main residence market. A support fund for trade in rural areas must also be made permanent.
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Regarding access to care, one of the main concerns of the inhabitants of rural areas particularly affected by medical deserts, the government is going to launch 100 “medico-buses” staffed with specialists, in particular gynecologists, in places “where it is most difficult to access” care. Last axis: to perpetuate the system of rural revitalization zones (ZRR) – which allows companies, communities, etc. in rural areas to benefit from tax and social exemptions. Its cartography will be reformed to reach the most fragile municipalities.