The proposed 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) introduces a new performance framework that links
EU funding more closely to indicators, milestones, and targets. At the same time, rural development objectives are
increasingly integrated into broader cohesion and structural policies through National and Regional Partnership Plans
(NRPPs).
While this integrated approach may improve coordination between funds, it also raises concerns for rural areas. Many
performance indicators are defined at national level, making it difficult to capture local and sub-regional impacts or
reflect the diversity of rural territories. This creates a risk that rural priorities may be insufficiently considered in
performance-based funding decisions.
A stronger focus on granular, place-based evidence and rural proofing is therefore essential to ensure that policies
respond to the realities of different rural areas and avoid one-size-fits-all approaches.
This webinar aims to examine how the new performance framework affects rural areas, identify gaps in existing indicators,
and explore how GRANULAR evidence, including tools such as the GRANULAR Rural Compass and new data on rural
attractiveness and perceptions, can support more rural-sensitive policy design, monitoring, and evaluation under the new
MFF.
Presentations:
- Performance indicators in the new MFF – David Bokhorst, European University Institute
- Performance framework: implications for rural areas – Serafin Pazos Vidal, AEIDL
- Rural attractiveness and perceptions: evidence for place-based policy – Carlos Tapia, Nordregio
- GRANULAR Rural Compass for rural diversity – Bettina Bock, Wageningen University