The overall aim of the rural development package is to widen the economic base of the rural areas and help maximize their indigenous potential (in fields such as, inter alia, production of certain food and non-food agricultural products, horticulture, harvesting of wild food products, small-scale food processing, forestry management, small-scale wood processing, energy production from wood, handicrafts, private services, and tourism, especially farm and rural tourism), to maintain and improve basic services, particularly in alternative ways and on a cooperative basis, to protect the unique environment, both as part of human heritage and as an attraction for tourism, to utilize new technology (particularly telecommuncations, teleworking, distance learning, etc.) in order to make living and working in the areas easier, and to preserve the cultural heritage (particularly that of the indigenous Sami population).
Maaseudun kehittämispaketin tavoitteena on maaseutualueiden taloudellisen perustan laajentaminen ja luontaisten mahdollisuuksien hyödyntäminen esimerkiksi seuraavilla aloilla: elintarvikkeiden ja muiden maataloustuotteiden tuotanto, puutarhaviljely, marjojen ja sienien keräily, pienimuotoinen elintarviketeollisuus, metsätalous, pienimuotoinen puunjalostus, puun energiakäyttö, käsityöteollisuus, yksityiset palvelut ja matkailu, erityisesti maatila- ja maaseutumatkailu.