This study on Circular Economy and Cohesion Policy Funds was published in October 2026 in the series Research for REGI Committee of the European Parliament. The study examines how Cohesion Policy supports the circular economy, mapping allocations, implementation progress and territorial investment patterns. Drawing on EU policy analysis, programme data and five regional case studies, […]
Archives for 2026
MFF negotiations update
At the end of the Cyprus Presidency we published a critical overview of the MFF negotiations. We offer below an update by Serafin Pazos-Vidal on the state and prospects of the negotiations after the summer recess, followed by Serafin’s original overview. At this stage of the MFF negotiations, MEPs are about to start voting their […]
Where is the local? Reflections on the future of Cohesion Policy from the ARL Congress 2026
On 1–2 October, I attended the ARL Congress 2026 in Cologne, organised by the Academy for Territorial Development in the Leibniz Association (ARL). ARL brings together researchers and practitioners working on spatial planning, regional development and territorial policy, and its annual Congress provides a useful space for exchange between academic research and policy practice. Participants included […]
Multi-level Governance Architecture Matters for Leader’s Added Value
Finland – Evaluation of the regional and local rural development operating model Multi-level Governance Architecture Matters for Leader’s Added Value In recent years, there has been a strong focus on proving the added value of Leader in the rural development system. Significant steps have been taken to define the theoretical model for Leader added value, […]
Policy brief: Why Europe’s future depends on its places and territories
A new ‘Territorial Thinkers’ briefing (August 2026), Why Europe’s future depends on its places and territories reflects on main messages put forward by the authors over the past 10 years and adapts them to the current situation. The authors – Peter Mehlbye, Peter Schön, Derek Martin and Kai Böhme – summarise their key observations and […]
Strong villages and towns: understanding the determinants of population change in EU settlements
This JRC Working Paper, Strong villages and towns: understanding the determinants of population change in EU settlements, is authored by Mert Kompil, Paola Proietti, Chiara Dorati, Chris Jacobs-Crisoni, and Lewis Dijkstra. The study examines the drivers of population change in EU settlements, focusing on villages and towns, and analyses the influence of local characteristics and […]
Cohesion Policy Capacity Index (CPCI)
What makes EU funding work effectively on the ground? Strong programmes need more than funding: they also depend on the capacity of the authorities managing them. The new Cohesion Policy Capacity Index (CPCI) provides a data-driven framework to assess and compare the administrative capacity of Managing Authorities across the EU. It looks at several dimensions […]
LDnet short webinars on “invisibilised” spaces
LDnet is preparing a series of short webinars on vacant, underused, liminal, transitional and “invisibilised” spaces. The idea emerged from the LDnet Working Group “New Ideas” and aims to collect and share practical stories from local development actors across Europe. We are looking for short contributions from practitioners, researchers, local authorities and community organisations on […]
European Local Government Report 2025
The European Local Government Report 2025 provides a comprehensive assessment of local government systems across EU member states. It examines structural data, financial trends, expenditure patterns, revenue sources, and functional responsibilities of municipalities. The report was authored by Thomas Prorok and Sofia Calzola and was published by KDZ – Centre for Public Administration Research. The report […]
Policy brief: Europe closer to Citizens – Community-led Local Development
This Policy Brief, from the Policy Learning Platform for a Europe closer to Citizens, was published by Interreg Europe in May 2026, authored by James Ling and Astrid Severin. As a territorial tool to implement PO5 (Europe closer to Citizens) funds, CLLD can be applied to a wide range of policy areas such as urban […]
Webinar on “Environmental Risks & Citizen Science” coming in November 2026
The European Local Development Network Association (LDnet) in collaboration with the CS4Change project, is happy to be co-hosting a webinar titled ‘Local communities and using citizen science in risk management’ in early November this year. The webinar will share recent and ongoing studies that combine Citizen Science (CS) and environmental risk management. We will also discuss opportunities for local and regional […]
Policy briefs: Urban Interest Representation in the EU & Local and Regional governments representation in the EP
Two policy briefs were published in May 2026 on the EU-level advocacy of cities, authored by Dr Balázs Brucker, Research Fellow at ELTE CERS Institute for Regional Studies, Pécs (HU). The executive summaries of the briefs are presented below with links to the full documents. Urban Interest Representation in the EU: Opportunities, Channels, and Constraints – […]