Cuardaigh

On 30 June 2021, the European Commission adopted a communication on its long-term vision for the EU's rural areas. The communication identifies areas of action with a view to creating new momentum for the EU's rural areas, while recognising their diversity. In recent decades, in many Member States rural areas have experienced depopulation. Such regions face a range of environmental and socio-economic challenges. These include, for example, lower income per capita, a higher percentage of the population ...

This Briefing forms part of an EPRS series offering syntheses of the pre-legislative state of play and consultation on key European Commission priorities during the current five-year term. It summarises the state of affairs in the relevant policy field, examines how existing policy is working on the ground, and, where possible, identifies best practice and ideas for the future on the part of governmental organisations at all levels of the EU system of multilevel governance. EPRS analysis of the positions ...

This study investigates the key challenges and trends concerning the provision of transport policies and infrastructure in low-density and depopulating areas. It also provides a comprehensive assessment of relevant transport policies and projects implemented in these areas. Finally, it provides policymakers with an array of policy recommendations aimed at overcoming the identified challenges and gaps.

This in-depth analysis provides a preliminary analysis of the upcoming Commission’s communication on a long term vision for rural areas. It presents the key features of the communication and its implications for the CAP, takes stock of the current and future EU policy tools to support rural areas and provides background material on the economic, demographic, social and spatial challenges they are faced with.

This paper is the second in a series that EPRS is producing on the demographic outlook for the European Union (EU). Demography matters. The economy, labour market, healthcare, pensions, the environment, intergenerational fairness and election results – they are all driven by demography. The EU has seen its population grow substantially – by around a quarter since 1960 – and currently stands at over 500 million people. However, it is now beginning to stagnate, before its expected decline from around ...

The European Union has seen its population grow substantially – by around a quarter in the five and a half decades since 1960 – to a current level of over 500 million people. However, this population is now growing too slowly, and is even expected to decline in the longer term. Issues of demography are likely to have a considerable impact on EU society. Most models used for analysing population trends suggest that, in the coming years, the EU's population will continue to age as a result of consistently ...

Over the last few years, Europe has seen a significant increase in the number of migrants arriving at its borders. The European Commission's 2016 action plan on the integration of third-country nationals has highlighted the resources that are available from the European structural and investment funds to support the integration process, with potential measures covering education, housing, health, social inclusion and labour market related investments. Although migration is predominantly an urban ...

The rural development concept has evolved significantly over recent decades to become a fully-fledged policy at European Union level. It has adapted to an enlarged Europe which, from 2004, welcomed 13 new countries, adding much diversity to an already strongly contrasted rural Europe. Adaptation was also needed to cope with important socio-economic and demographic changes affecting rural areas, and to face new challenges such as climate change, the production of energy from renewable sources, and ...