27 de January de 2026
Dinamización rural
Resiliencia y competitividad
The CAP Network commemorates the fifth anniversary of the Territorial Antennas Program, an initiative that was launched on December 15, 2020 with a clear objective: to strengthen the presence of the CAP Network throughout the national territory and improve the direct connection with Spanish rural areas.
The CAP Network commemorates the fifth anniversary of the Territorial Antennas Program, an initiative that was launched on December 15, 2020 with a clear objective: to strengthen the presence of the CAP Network throughout the national territory and improve the direct connection with Spanish rural areas.
The team of the 9 Territorial Antennas covers all the autonomous communities and its work focuses on understanding the different regional realities, identifying good practice projects, organizing training days and workshops and improving the dissemination of the CAP Network content in the territory
Five years ago, the CAP Network took a decisive step to be closer than ever to rural areas: it created its Territorial Antenna Program , a team present in every autonomous community to listen to, support, and connect people, projects, and administrations with the opportunities offered by the Common Agricultural Policy ( CAP ) . Today, this model celebrates its fifth anniversary, demonstrating something simple yet powerful: when information reaches those who need it, the region progresses.
Five years of presence in the territory endorse the role of the CAP Network's Territorial Antennas as a bridge between public policies and those who promote rural and agricultural development in each autonomous community: identifying good practices , organizing events, and facilitating workshops to achieve the objectives of the 2023-2027 CAP Strategic Plan. Since its launch in December 2020, this model has consolidated a real reach that connects local needs with coordinated responses at the national level.
On the ground
The Territorial Antenna Program was launched on December 15, 2020 , with a team of nine professionals. Distributed throughout all the autonomous communities, their mission was clear: to ensure that the former National Rural Network (RRN) – now the CAP Network – had a real presence across the country and established a direct dialogue with those who drive rural and agricultural development every day. This allowed for a better understanding of local needs and improved the dissemination of information about projects, aid, and best practices related to the CAP. In this new phase, the CAP Network, through its network of branches, has expanded its scope, also connecting with farmers, livestock breeders, scientific and research personnel, promoters of innovative projects, and members of agricultural associations to strengthen sustainability in the agricultural sector.
Furthermore, these profiles emerged to address a gap identified by the program itself: many rural agents, especially at the local level, were not sufficiently aware of the available initiatives and resources. The Antennas were created to resolve this, acting as a quick, accessible, and local link.
First year: listening, mapping and activating the territory
During their first year , the Territorial Antennas started with three fundamental tasks:
Identify the key agents in each autonomous community, from local administrations to associations and local action groups ( LAGs ).
Promote the participatory workshops of the “Long-term vision for rural areas” , promoted by the European Commission (EC), to gather local input on how rural areas of the future want to live and grow.
Select inspiring projects to represent rural and agricultural Spain in the European “ARIA ” Awards.
This start set the essence of the program: fieldwork, participation, and opportunity identification.
Then would come
Since then: more activities, more connections, more impact
Over the past five years, the Regional Offices have organized dozens of conferences, workshops, and meetings in all the autonomous communities, fostering the exchange of experiences among individuals and organizations involved in rural development. They have been key in disseminating up-to-date information on projects and funding opportunities . and activities of the PAC Network.
Their role has been especially relevant in enabling local projects —sometimes small, but always valuable— to go further, connect with each other, and find technical support directly in their territory.
Strengthening closeness: listening to transform
The added value of the Regional Offices lies in their active listening. Thanks to their presence in the field, they can convey the real needs of each autonomous community to the Common Agricultural Policy Network (CAP), while also bringing information and support to those who need it most. This two-way approach—from the bottom up and from the top down—has strengthened the quality of communication and rural participation in key areas such as rural development, women, innovation, resilience and competitiveness, the food chain, climate change, and the management of natural resources and biodiversity.
Looking to the future
The program's fifth anniversary arrives with new challenges: depopulation, climate change, digitalization, generational renewal… But also with one certainty: proximity works. The CAP Network will continue to rely on this territorial structure to promote projects, strengthen partnerships, and make the opportunities offered by the CAP more understandable and accessible.