Brussels, 29 June 2023
The European Commission is committed to addressing the long-term reduction of population in rural areas across Europe, particularly among working-age individuals (20-64 years old) and youth (less than 20 years old).
To combat this issue and revitalise rural communities, the European Commission launched the Rural Revitalisation Platform during the Rural Policy Lab. The Policy Action Lab, scheduled for 29 June 2023, not only aimed to introduce the platform but also provides an opportunity to build upon previous work and explore policies and actions that can foster development in rural areas affected by depopulation.
The declining population trend in many rural areas of Europe has far-reaching consequences, exacerbating socio-economic disparities between urban and rural regions. The long-term vision for EU’s rural areas, including the Rural Pact, aims to support the revitalisation of depopulated rural areas, making them stronger, more connected, resilient, and prosperous by 2040. The rural revitalization platform is a significant step towards achieving this vision. It serves as a one-stop shop, facilitating collaboration and information exchange among rural communities, project holders, and local authorities.
What does the EU Rural Revitalisation Platform offer?
This Platform provides virtual space and a comprehensive set of resources for rural communities, project holders, and local authorities to connect, collaborate, and access information. This Platform was launched in the framework of the EU’s Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas as one of the key tool to strengthen the community of rural actors that joined the Rural Pact .
The Rural Revitalisation Platform is open and free of charge for anyone who would like to join. Rural actors can launch their own thematic community to tackle a specific rural issue and connect with other rural territories interested on that topic. Thus far, two Communities were launched on 29th June: one of Smart Villages and another on Women in Rural Areas, coordinated by the GRASS CEILING project. You can join the pact and form a Community by joining here.
What are the benefits of joining the EU Rural Revitalisation Platform?
- Connect with like-minded rural actors and communities that want to bring the change in their own territory
- Develop joint actions, projects and initiatives to address specific issues
- Learn from other territories
- Share relevant practices, results and tools with other actors. With this respect, this can be a good opportunity for the GRANULAR project to share its tools, such as the Digital Platform, the Rural Diversity Compass, as well as Living Labs and Replication Labs’ experiences directly from the ground!
