This EPRC webinar will take place on Wednesday 11 December 2024, from 12:00 to 13:00 CET (11:00 to 12:00 UK time). It will showcase a new paper by Miriam de Oliveira Gonçalves, João Morais Mourato, André Pereira & Cristina Cavaco and will provide an opportunity for discussing its findings and conclusions. Over the past three decades, Local Action Groups […]
Smart Rurality: Reconciling Convergence with Growth and Wellbeing at Local Level?
Over the past decade, Smart Rurality has gained significant traction in Europe, with various declarations advocating for it as a pathway to just transition and rural revitalization. Despite its popularity, the concept remains somewhat ambiguous. A policy brief by Carla Lostrangio, Expert in Rural and Territorial Development (AEIDL), delves into the components that define a […]
Artificial Intelligence, Collective Intelligence and Local Development
The knowledge of AI in relation to governance is at its infancy but there are signs that it could be of relevance and interest to participative approaches to local development and this makes it worth exploring it. We provide below some hints drawn from a growing pool of insights and examples of specific tools and […]
The road to the next multiannual financial framework
In a recent post we highlighted that the debate is starting about the next MFF of the EU and the theat it presents for local development in rural and urban areas. On 11 February 2025 the European Commission published a Communication “The road to the next multiannual financial framework” marking the first formal step in […]
Post-2027 EU funding for local development under threat
The debate has started about the next MFF of the EU. Although there are no formally proposals in the public domain, informal briefings have raised concerns about the possible implications of a new MFF archtecture for the local and regional level. These concerns stem mostly from two features highlighted in two recent news items: The […]
The Michael Dower Award for European Rural Resilience
This new award was launched on 15 October 2024 and is now open for applications. It aims to showcase great examples of how local communities and individuals are tackling economic, environmental, and social challenges to build rural resilience. It also seeks to boost local empowerment across Europe by helping applicants share their experiences, practices, and […]
2025 RSA Annual Conference: Call for abstracts and special sessions
The RSA has published a call for abstracts and for special sessions for the ‘2025 RSA Annual Conference: Navigating Regional Transformation’ that will take place from 6 to 9 May 2025 at the University of Porto. Registration will open at the beginning of February 2025. More Information HERE.
Call for EUI Peer Reviews
A Peer Review is a capacity building activity offered by the European Urban Initiative (EUI) to support European cities to improve the design and implementation of their Sustainable Urban Development (SUD) strategies, through a process of benchmarking and peer learning. Each Peer Review involves one ‘City under review’ (primary beneficiary), working with individuals from up […]
Territorial development for the green transition: Harnessing the potential of rural communities (19 September 2024)
This Policy Action Lab, organised by the Rural Pact Support Office, will explore key opportunities for rural communities to benefit from the green transition and enhance their territorial development tools. Building on the European Commision report ‘The long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas: key achievements and ways forward’, the Policy Action Lab aims to: reflect on […]
Insights into LEADER evaluations
Evaluating LEADER under CAP presents a substantial challenge. It is not just about measuring LEADER’s contribution to the CAP’s Specific Objectives, but also uncovering the added value generated from the application of the ‘LEADER method’. To help find a path forward, the European Evaluation Helpdesk for the CAP is working with experts to extract best […]
Social innovation in rural areas
Rural areas depend on a wide range of economic engines for growth, as well as the quality of place to attract and retain people. Social innovation seeks new answers to social and environmental problems, using new solutions that improve the quality of life for individuals and communities. Social innovation can be a tool to create […]
Debate: EU budget and place-based policies
The COTER Commission of the EU Committee of the Regions (CoR) is preparing a new draft Opinion on EU budget and place-based policies: proposals for new design and delivery mechanisms for the MFF post 2027 . It is seeking to define principles whereby the present complexity and overlaps among EU funds and instruments having a territorial […]