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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 ...

One of the key demographic challenges facing rural areas is the ageing population, not only among farmers but also among the rural population in general. This paper examines the demographic profile of older people in the EU's rural areas, and presents a series of issues pertaining to the situation facing older people. Topics covered include health and access to services, issues of social isolation and loneliness, the role of technology and lifelong learning, access to social care, and the impact ...

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 ...