European Smart Villages Observatory
- Rural Pact
- Rural Revitalisation Platform
- Smart and start-up villages
- LEADER/CLLD
- Energy
- Digital
- Governance
- Stronger Rural Areas
- Connected rural areas
- Resilient rural areas
The European Smart Villages Observatory is an online platform and networking framework bringing together stakeholders at local, regional, national and European levels around Smart Villages. Developed through the Smart Rural 27 project, it was piloted to facilitate exchange of experience and knowledge and help improve the implementation and policy support of Smart Villages.
Access the resource
Author: Smart Rural 27 project
The Observatory is organised around three complementary components, each with dedicated web pages and resources:
- Knowledge clusters of rural communities support peer exchange and capacity building between communities working on similar themes. Dedicated clusters have addressed renewable energy communities and improving rural services through digitalisation, while the Observatory identifies further themes such as rural businesses and mobility and transport. The renewable energy cluster, for example, combined online exchanges with study visits and learning from communities including Stanz in Austria and Samsø in Denmark.
- National and regional Smart Village taskforces bring together communities, Local Action Groups (LAGs), managing authorities, networks, associations and other stakeholders to exchange on and improve the implementation of Smart Village policies and support instruments in their particular national or regional context.
- European stakeholder platforms enable actors with similar responsibilities in different countries to exchange experiences and lessons. Separate platforms were established for LEADER actors, CAP managing authorities, CAP Networks and EU-level organisations.
The website also provides access to Observatory meeting materials and reports, documenting exchanges among rural communities, policymakers, programme authorities and other Smart Village stakeholders.
Why it is useful for rural areas
The Observatory provides rural stakeholders with access to practical experience and exchanges on both implementing Smart Village initiatives locally and creating effective policy support for them. Its multi-level structure is particularly useful because it connects community-level experience with national and regional policy implementation and European-level learning.
The resources can help users explore how other rural communities and policymakers have approached issues such as renewable energy, digital rural services, community capacity building and the implementation of Smart Villages through CAP and LEADER.
Who is this resource for?
The Observatory is particularly relevant for rural communities; local and regional authorities; LAGs and other LEADER actors; CAP managing authorities and Networks; rural development organisations; and national and EU-level policymakers involved in Smart Villages.
About the initiative
Smart Rural 27 was the second EU Preparatory Action on Smart Rural Areas in the 21st Century, funded by the European Commission. It focused on improving the support framework for Smart Villages and facilitating exchange between rural communities and policy stakeholders at different governance levels.
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