10 rural organisations and movements in Western, Central and Eastern Europe are prepared to strengthen networking on European level to promote civic commitment and responsibilities in rural areas of Europe through capacity building, forming of critical opinions, exchange of experiences, sharing of best practices, educational activities and lobby and advocacy work. The reason for this initiative is that Rural areas in many European countries suffer under negative developments. They can be regarded as discriminated in terms of infrastructure, chances for education, employment, dramatic changes in agriculture, globalisation, social- medical services, electronic communication networks, cultural offerings and leisure facilities. This leads, to a certain extent, to exclusion of people living here from making use of facilities for a good way of living.People from rural areas are less involved and engaged in the decision-making at the place they live and the rural economy is subject to the main interest of urban area. Nevertheless it is generally recognized by observers, farmers, and different stakeholders, that in Europe rural areas are not enough valorized. In order to counter this situation the project "PRO RURAL EUROPE" was designed as a common initiative of 10 European rural organisations. Accordingly, the objective of the project is a strengthened and extended European network of civil society organisations in the rural area with a corresponding capacity to do effcient lobbying at European level.To reach this objective, the project consists of the following project steps (activities):1. Exchange of best practices and capacity building of multipliers regarding citizenship in rural areas in the thematic project seminars.2. Implementation of new concepts for further development of citizenship in rural areas in the various partner countries3. Design of partners’ networking communication for sustainable co-operation beyond the project4. Organisational development for FIMARC organisation for lobbying and advocacy on European level. The process of the working group of representatives is facilitated by an expert with filed experience in cross-sectoral civil society development in Western, Central and Eastern EuropeAs main impact of the project can be expected that participants and the participating organisations are mobilized with new motivation to increase their civic commitment for a better future of rural areas. With its objective oriented educational activities the project is very suitable to strengthen and to mobilize the participating organisations.In order to reach the rural population as (indirect) target group, the project will mainly address responsables of the project partners who will participate in the key activities of the project related to exchange, capacity building and networking. Together with stakeholders and politicians who will gradually also be adressed, 120 persons will be directly involved in the project.A networking and communication structure will be elaborated to enable also a continuation of the exchange of information and experience, as well as common actions and effective lobbying on European level. Part of the follow up will be maintaining contacts with external partners of networks on different fields and levels, in order to achieve that the network is regarded as a perceptible advocate of the rural area in politics, administration and public.The project, transnationally disigned and implemented, wiil be a first step, motivating and learning from eachother, while developing and experiencing a viable spirit of European togetherness on the way to counter the decribed negativ trends. It is innovative as it promoting to strengthen a kind of network and exchange of best practices which does not yet exist in this form in Europe. Finally, this project is also a good opportunity to put the European idea of solidarity and responsibility into practice and to make it public.