Authors: Merveille Ntabuhashe and Maite Iglesias (AEIDL) The GRANULAR & RUSTIK Joint Final Conference took place on 24 and 25 June 2026 at the Fondation Universitaire in Brussel. Organised by the European...
OECD Global Forum on Local Development 2026 highlights the importance of foresight, resilience and the renewed role of place
Author: Serafin Pazos-Vidal (AEIDL) The OECD Global Forum on Local Development 2026 one of the most important gathering of experts in this field opened in Maastricht with a setting that was both symbolic and highly relevant to the discussions that followed....
GRANULAR releases Multi-Actor Labs cross-visit dossiers from across Europe
The GRANULAR project just published five Living Lab cross-visit dossiers, offering a deep dive into innovative rural development strategies from its Multi-Actor Labs in France, Italy, Poland, Scotland, and Spain. These reports are the result of a collaborative...
GRANULAR French Living Lab deploys new tool to monitor the decline of chestnut groves in Vallespir
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...
Beyond GDP and smarter indicators: GRANULAR Bootcamp explores how to measure what really matters for rural areas
Author: Maite Iglesias & Merveille Ntabuhashe Designing better policies for rural areas requires better ways of measuring what actually matters. This was the central message emerging from the GRANULAR Knowledge Transfer Accelerator Bootcamp held online...
GRANULAR partners discuss final phase of the project at General Assembly
Yesterday, GRANULAR held its sixth General Assembly online, as the project enters its final months before concluding in September 2026. The meeting allowed partners to align on remaining tasks and reflect on key results achieved so far. An integrated...
Climate neutrality in EU rural areas: from measurement to action
Author: Merveille Ntabuhashe (AEIDL) Rural areas are central to Europe’s ambition to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. Covering nearly 80% of the EU’s territory and hosting vast natural resources, rural regions hold enormous potential for climate mitigation and...
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...