​​​​​During a Zoom debate organised by EU40 supported by the EP RULRA and Smart Villages Intergroup and the Rural European Innovation Area (REInA) on 13th October, Cllr Enda Stenson, Letrim County Councilor welcomed the CoR's annual EU local and regional barometer and highlighted that the data of the barometer point to a significant urban-rural digital divide in most EU Member States not only in terms of infrastructure but also in internet usage and use of e-government services. 

"I very much welcome that the long-term vision for rural areas outlines the many facets of rural development that we need to look at, including territorial planning, basic services, education, capacity building, investments and coordinated action, taking care for and activating both people and the planet in rural areas," he said.

As the CoR's rapporteur on Smart Villages, he added that they could contribute to these goals, especially if they were embedded in a smart rural area. "Local innovation processes like smart villages or LEADER create a platform for awareness-raising, information and training. That way, they facilitate the uptake of digital opportunities in rural areas." 

Cllr Stendon also added that farmers and the farming sector in general should be a priority group for digital training, with a view to facilitating the uptake and development of e-farming tools and methods. "Precision farming helps us to produce better food with less environmental impact and is impossible without a powerful digital infrastructure. In a smart village or a smart rural area, farmers receive information, they can voice their needs for implementation together with their associations, and public administration of different levels can factor these needs into its planning."