A number of Horizon projects are underway in rural areas of Europe with the goal of fostering resilience and innovation. Each has its own focus and approach to empowering local communities. Among these projects are SMART ERA, FUTURAL, and RURACTIVE, each targeting pressing socio-economic and… Read More »Empowering Rural Communities: Horizon Projects for Smart Rural Development
Rural communities across Europe are set to witness a transformative shift as policymakers and stakeholders come together to unveil the much-anticipated Rural Pact. This groundbreaking initiative, aimed at fostering sustainable innovations and development in rural areas, has the potential to revitalize economies, preserve local heritage,… Read More »The Rural Pact: Empowering sustainable innovations and progress in rural Europe
Source: European Commission The European Commission (DG AGRI) has just released the latest podcast on the long term vision for rural areas with a focus on how to attract young people through innovation. As Europe’s rural population ages and diminishes in size, Food for Europe… Read More »New Podcast of DG AGRI – Rurality: Working for a more attractive and prosperous countryside in Europe
Source: European Commission The Commission launched on the 16 November the Start-up Village Forum to gather insights on challenges for and potential of rural start-up companies. As part of the EU’s June 2021 long-term vision for rural areas and the Commission Action Plan for Rural areas, the annual… Read More »Launch of the Start-up Village Forum: delivering the vision for EU’s rural areas
Source: European Commission The European Innovation Council (EIC) Prize on Blockchains for Social Good has awarded €5 million to six winners selected in a call to identify scalable, deployable and high-impact blockchain solutions for societal challenges. The winning solutions propose blockchain applications for fair trade… Read More »The European Innovation Council awards €5 million to blockchain solutions for social innovation
Source: OECD This note focuses on the implications of COVID-19 on rural development and the policy responses that OECD member countries are adopting. It first discusses the economic effects on rural regions followed by an identification of opportunities and associated challenges. The note then summarises… Read More »Policy implications of coronavirus crisis for rural development | Interesting results presented in the latest OECD policy note
Source: Fi-compass This fi-compass study aims to support EAFRD managing authorities in planning and programming the use of financial instruments in their CAP Strategic Plans for the 2021-2027 programming period. The study investigates the financing needs of the agriculture and agri-food sectors in 24 EU… Read More »Study on financial needs in the agriculture and agri-food sectors in 24 EU Member States
Source: EU Court of Auditors The common agricultural policy (CAP) was not effective in reversing the decades-long decline in biodiversity and intensive farming remains a main cause of biodiversity loss, according to a new report by the European Court of Auditors (ECA). The auditors found… Read More »The CAP is not halting biodiversity decline caused by intensive farming, the EU Court of Auditors says
Source: Nordregio Interest Story Map from Nordregio on the role of digitalisation in the bioeconomy sector, mainly in three key dimensions which are illustrated by good examples. Dimension 1: The adoption and use of digital tools The first dimension sees the use of digital tools… Read More »The digital revolution in the bioeconomy
Source: DG AGRI, European Commission The Pilot Project on Smart eco-social villages, initiated by the European Parliament, was completed by a consortium consisting of Ecorys, Origin for Sustainability and R.E.D. between January 2018 and April 2019. The conclusions of the Pilot Project reflected in the … Read More »Smart Villages: Final Report of the Pilot Project on smart-eco-social villages published by the European Commission