to all in the ERP network
Dear friends,

As United Kingdom citizens, who campaigned for our country to stay in the European Union, we are sad today that our compatriots voted by majority to leave the Union.   As democrats, committed to listening to the people’s voice, we respect that vote.  

As joint coordinators (with Kirsten Birke Lund from Denmark) of the European Rural Parliament, we record with pride the fact that the voices and the partners in that Parliament are drawn from all parts of Europe, both within and beyond the European Union.   We are committed to sharing ideas and experience across the continent, in order that the voice of the rural people everywhere shall be heard by governments, whatever their institutional structure.   Our central concern is to promote the well-being of rural people, their collective self-help and their creative partnership with governments in every European country.   The work continues.   We expect soon to announce the hosts of the ERP 2017 Gathering and the priority projects in the ERP 2016-17 campaign.  
Michael Dower and Vanessa Halhead