Home 9 News 9 European news 9 Targets and tools for a Smarter Rural Europe

Targets and tools for a Smarter Rural Europe

Apr 20, 2023 | European news, News

On 15th March, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) voted the Opinion on “Targets and Tools for a Smart Rural Europe”.  This Opinion was presented by CoR’s rapporteur on the EU Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas, Radim Srsen, who is also Mayor of the Municipality of Dolní Studénky in Czech Republic, Deputy Minister of regional development of Czechia and Member of the European Committee of the Regions.

The Opinion emphasizes the need to better use the smart village concept and partnership tools such as activities for the development of rural economy supported through the LEADER programme and Community-Led Local Development.

During the meeting, local and regional leaders from across Europe recalled the need for all EU policies to promote the attractiveness of rural areas and protect the quality of life of the rural population.

In particular, CoR members called for a clear focus on the need to foster the development of small and medium-sized businesses and start-ups in rural areas, as well as for better access to quality health and social care. Secure and sustainable access to digital infrastructure is a vital element in order to accelerate the digitalisation of business and services and enhancing the digital skills and training opportunities of people living in rural areas.

GRANULAR will also work to develop new tools for smarter rural areas. These tools will be co-developed, tested and assessed across 7 Living Labs. Discover more about our tools and forthcoming outputs.

Read more about in the official press release!

Recent news

We’re staying in rural areas: practices, policies and tools

We’re staying in rural areas: practices, policies and tools

Author: Serafin Pazos Vidal (AEIDL) On 11 October GRANULAR presented the state of play of the project at the event We’re staying in rural areas: practices, policies and tools for thriving regions. This is part of the European Week of Regions and Cities (EWRC) the...

Our Spanish Living Lab presents GRANULAR in local classrooms

Our Spanish Living Lab presents GRANULAR in local classrooms

Our GRANULAR Living Lab in Ourense, Spain, has succeeded in bringing young students from Galicia together for a day focused on Europeanism and rural development. On 13 September, the municipalities of San Xoán de Río and Trives de Galicia (Spain) in Ourense hosted an...

What’s next for the GRANULAR Living Labs?

What’s next for the GRANULAR Living Labs?

On 15th September, GRANULAR Living Labs unveiled their Action Plans. Activities listed in each of the Action Plans are aimed at improving data availability and data analysis for better rural policies. Different ruralities, the same mission About one year passed since...

Addressing data gaps to evaluate the CAP Strategic Plans

Addressing data gaps to evaluate the CAP Strategic Plans

The EU's CAP network has released a publication titled "Addressing Data Gaps to Evaluate CAP Strategic Plans", outlining a comprehensive approach to rectifying critical information deficiencies. The publication summarises the highlights of a Good Practice Workshop on...

New opportunities offered by EU Rural Revitalisation Platform

New opportunities offered by EU Rural Revitalisation Platform

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...

GRANULAR defines its next steps: Living Labs & Rural Compass

GRANULAR defines its next steps: Living Labs & Rural Compass

On the 19th and 20th of June, GRANULAR Executive Board and Living Lab facilitators met in Ede (The Netherlands) to discuss the upcoming steps of the project. The meeting focused on the role and needs of 7 GRANULAR Living Labs and the Rural Compass. Living Labs in...

GRANULAR Digital Platform is live!

GRANULAR Digital Platform is live!

We are very proud to announce the launch of our project’s Digital Platform! GRANULAR Digital Platform is an online interface to visualise and analyse the datasets of interest for rural areas and rural communities. Why a Digital Platform? Rural areas often lack...