On 16 July in Strasbourg, the inaugural meeting of the Intergroup SMART Villages for Rural Communities took place at the European Parliament. EUMA President Roland Stierle attended this meeting as EUMA was invited as observer of this new Intergroup which aims to enable exchanges on innovative ways to create vibrant and attractive rural communities. 
Intergroups are inofficial groupings of members of the European Parliament (MEPs) who are interested in a particular topic which does not necessarily fall within the scope of the European Parliament's normal work but may be of interest to wider society. Intergroups hold informal discussions and promote exchanges between MEPs and civil society. Read more on the new Intergroup in particular and on Intergroups in general: Smart Villages Intergroup and What are Intergroups
