Event - Other

European Week of Regions and Cities 2023: Focus on Rural Development

The European Week of Regions and Cities (#EURegionsWeek) returns to Brussels from 9-12 October 2023. This annual gathering serves as a focal point for addressing Europe's regional challenges, including rural issues. Last year, the event attracted nearly 20,000 participants and featured 272 sessions in collaboration with 528 partners

  • - CEST
  • English
  • Hybrid

The event aims to bring together politicians, experts, and various stakeholders to discuss cohesive solutions for Europe's regions and cities. While the focus is broad, several sessions are of particular relevance to rural development. 

Highlights on Rural Events: 

  • How to retain and attract talent in EU rural areas: This workshop will focus on the challenges and opportunities arising from attracting and retaining talent in EU rural areas. It will delve into the experiences of EU regions to identify key factors that can be leveraged through the Rural Pact to help retain talent. Moreover, it will explore various initiatives and funding opportunities – including the Rural Toolkit and the Startup Village Forum initiative – that can facilitate the attraction and retention of talent in EU rural areas. 

 

  • Participatory Lab: Emancipation of Rural Areas: This interactive session aims to explore how rural areas can contribute to regional and urban policies. Participants will collaborate to create an initial action plan for involving rural stakeholders effectively. 

 

  • Beating the Odds with LEADER - The Visionary Rural Europe: This session focuses on the LEADER programme's success in rural development across Europe. The discussion will reflect on how this humanised rural policy can better connect policies to local territories and societies. 

 

  • "We’re Staying in Rural Areas": Organised by AEIDL and PARTENALIA, this workshop will present strategies and local good practices to attract and retain talent in rural regions. It aims to foster dialogue on tackling rural depopulation. 

 

  • Rural Regeneration and Talent Growth Through Digital Connectivity: The BCO Network Support Facility is organising a workshop on talent retention for regional growth. The workshop will discuss revitalising rural communities and boosting local economies through broadband roll-out and smart solutions. Learn about successful EU initiatives that aim to attract young talent back to rural areas using cohesion policy tools and funds. 

 

Don't miss the opportunity to participate in vital discussions on rural development. Please note that the mentioned session is only a limited selection from the rural-focused offerings. For a more comprehensive list, you may search for "rural" on the full programme page. View the complete programme and register for the European Week of Regions and Cities 2023 [here].