The Commission for Natural Resources (NAT) of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) discussed at its meeting on 27 November 2024 a draft opinion on “How post-27 LEADER and CLLD programming could contribute to better implementation of the long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas” (Rapporteur: Thibaut Guignar, Mayor of Plœuc-l’Hermitage). In this opinion […]
EU budget and place-based policies
The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) adopted an own initiative opinion in November 2024 on “EU budget and place-based policies: proposals for new design and delivery mechanisms in the MFF post-2027” (Rapporteur: Marie-Antoinette MAUPERTUIS, President of the Corsican Assembly). This opinion is part of a package of own intiative opinions aimining to define CoR’s […]
Territorial development for the green transition: Harnessing the potential of rural communities
The Rural Pact is part of the European Commission’s Action Plan to achieve the long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas by 2040. The Pact aims to mobilise all stakeholders interested in rural areas (public authorities, civil society, businesses, researchers, and individuals) to contribute to achieving the rural vision. An important function of the Rural Pact is […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
25 years of LEADER: What impacts?
The Austrian LAG Styrian Volcanic Land (Steirisches Vulkanland) wanted to know what its local development efforts stretching over a quarter of a century have been ultimately good for. This groundbreaking impact study was entrusted to an ÖAR team assisted by students from the Vienna University [1] Robert Lukesch The study aimed to evaluate the intended […]
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 […]
Use of ‘factors of success’ in evaluation
According to Article 1 of the European Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1475 “When evaluating their CAP Strategic Plans, Member States shall define evaluation questions and factors of success to assess the evaluation criteria of effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, coherence and Union added value referred to in Article 140(1) of Regulation (EU) 2021/2115”. ‘Factors of success’ are […]
Euracademy: Responsible Food Production and Consumption for a Sustainable Future, 16-20.6.2024, Greece
The 22nd Summer Academy of Euracademy will take place near Rafina in Attica, Greece, from 16 to 20 June 2024. The theme of the Academy is one of the closest to the heart of everyone, namely “Responsible Food Production and Consumption for a Sustainable Future” or what makes “Good Food” for us all. For further […]
Webinar on Fostering Resilience in Rural Communities
Sharing experiences from an innovative training and capacity-building programme for voluntary and professional rural development practitioners. This EU-level webinar on Fostering Resilience in Rural Communities took place on Tuesday 23 January 2024. It was attended by some 160 active participants. The event was organised as part of the REBOUND project and presented key concepts and […]
LEADER and multi-funded CLLD
The EU CAP Network has published a highlights report of its workshop on LEADER and multi-funded CLLD which was held in Ljubljana 18-19 October 2023. The workshop provided the opportunity to exchange experiences and the main challenges for the implementation of multi-funded CLLD at the Managing Authority /Paying Agency and operational level; as well as […]