Author: Louise Chasset (PPM) Since 2022, the Vallespir region in France has been experiencing severe drought, which are damaging local biodiversity. More than 60% of the region is covered by extensive forest, consisting mainly of deciduous...
Who Does What in Rural Proofing?
Author: Giulia Martino (Ecorys) Rural proofing rarely follows a neat or linear path. When applied in real settings, it quickly raises practical questions. Who produces the evidence? Who makes sense of it? And who finally uses the results? These questions...
Beyond data: why belonging shapes rural Europe’s future
Author: Aleksandra Pawlowska (European Rural Development Network – ERDN) A GRANULAR perspective on the PREMIUM_EU final conference at the European Committee of the Regions. On 10 March 2026, the European Committee of the Regions in Brussels...
Rural tourism across Europe: Lessons from GRANULAR cross-visit in Italy
Author: Ilaria Lusini (GreenGea snc) Last year, the Italian Living Lab Val di Cecina Rural District hosted a three-day international cross visit...
GRANULAR’s assesses what is still missing in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF)
Author: Serafin Pazos-Vidal (AEIDL) The European Commission’s proposal for the 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework will shape rural development for the next decade. The European Commission tabled ambitious proposals last...
New GRANULAR report shows what matters for rural wellbeing
Author: Gundi Knies, Thünen-Institute of Rural Studies Wellbeing, fairness, and resilience are central goals of the European Commission’s Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas (LTVRA), yet the drivers of wellbeing remain complex and...
Housing prices and rural attractiveness: case study from Czechia
Authors: Ing. Jan Pavlík, PhD. (CZU), Ing. Tereza Burešová (CZU) Rural areas can be attractive places to live, but how much do housing prices influence their attractiveness? Research emerging from GRANULAR project, led by the Czech University of Life Sciences...
GRANULAR co-hosts Rural Proofing workshop at EU Regions Week 2025
Authors: Merveille Ntabuhashe & Maite Iglesias, AEIDL Last week was a busy week in Brussels, with the annual European Week of Regions and Cities (EWRC) taking place from 13-15 October. The city saw coming from all across Europe thousands of stakeholders in a...
The next EU budget: what’s at stake for rural areas
Last July the European Commission presented its proposal for the next €2 trillion Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) covering 2028–2034. President Ursula von der Leyen described it as a budget designed to meet Europe’s strategic ambitions in a time defined by...
Testing the GRANULAR Rural Proofing: What Living Labs Taught Us
Author: Giulia Martino (Ecorys) Can rural proofing really help policymakers design better, fairer policies for rural areas? That’s what eight Multi-Actor Labs across Europe set out to explore as part of the GRANULAR project. From Finland to Greece, and...