The knowledge hub is a one-stop-shop to access relevant tools, studies, guides, case studies, databases and research developed by key rural stakeholders and which are relevant to the long-term vision for rural areas. All publications developed in the context of the Rural Pact can be found here.
Stronger rural areas
- Smart Village initiatives and recommendations for future implementation (European Commission/Smart Rural 27 project, 2025)
- New paper provides a demographic outlook for EU’s rural regions (JRC, January 2025)
- Entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystems in rural areas: start-up village examples (JRC, August 2024)
- Evaluation of the impact of LEADER towards the general objective ‘balanced territorial development’ (European Commission, July 2024)
- Ensuring quality services - a territorial perspective (ESPON programme, July 2024)
- Getting to services in towns and villages, preparing regions for demographic change (OECD, June 2024)
- Toolkit Youth 4 Reviving (stagnating) EU territories (European Commission, March 2024)
- Self-assessment tool on rural revitalisation (ENRD thematic group on rural revitalisation)
- Case study: Regional law to combat depopulation in Castilla-la-Mancha (ENRD thematic group on rural revitalisation)
- Guide for Inclusive community engagement in local planning and decision making (Department of Rural and Community Development or Ireland, 2023)
- Good practice guide for people who live or want to live in rural areas (RURALIZATION)
- Handbook for local authorities to make farmland work for the public good (RURALIZATION)
- Rural Youth Employment (CAP Implementation Contact Point, Factsheet)
- RURAL NEET Youth observatory (RURAL NEET)
- Research and innovation needs and gaps for sustainable food systems – A portfolio analysis of EU funded projects (Publications Office of the European Union, 2023)
- Journeys of staying rural: Young adults in rural Northern Ireland, the Netherlands and Germany, Hofstede, H., 2023 (STAYin(g)Rural project, University of Groningen)
- From Fields to Futures: 40 Action Points for Rural Revitalisation (Nordregio, Report)
- Networks on health equity addressing medical deserts (AHEAD)
- Addressing health inequities among people living in rural and remote areas (who.int) (World Health Organisation)
- Health - Blue print for rural practice in Europe (EURIPA)
- NEETs in European rural areas (Rural NEET Youth Network, February 2024)
- The role of youth in rural development (European Economic and Social Committee, December 2023)
- Horizon funded research on rural and social dynamics
- Tools for smart villages
- Roadmap toolbox (SmartRural21)
- Smart solutions database (SmartRural21)
- Guidebook on how to become a smart village (SmartRural21)
- European smart village observatory (SmartRural27)
Connected rural areas
- Guidance on the assessment of good practices and durable solutions in rural mobility (SMARTA-NET project, April 2024)
- Guidance on sustainable mobility in rural tourism communities (SMARTA-NET project, April 2024)
- Publications: Broadband Competence Office Network
- DESIRA resources on digitalisation of agriculture and rural areas
- SMARTA-Net (sustainable mobility in rural areas)
- Networks and rural-urban linkages for rural innovation (OECD Working Paper)
- Open link in new windowBridging the rural-urban divide: Addressing inequalities and empowering communities (EUROFOUND)
- Delivering EU’s Rural Vision 2040 through urban-rural cooperation (EUROCITIES)
- Urban-rural linkages (Interreg Europe’s Policy Learning Platform, November 2024)
Resilient rural areas
- Addressing public service delivery in lagging regions: new study (ESPON Programme, December 2024)
- Rural proofing: lessons from OECD countries and potential application to health (OECD, June 2024)
- Tackling rural health inequity in Europe - Lincoln Statement 2024 (EURIPA, June 2024)
- Updating the energy poverty and energy efficiency framework in rural areas across the EU (IEECP, March 2024)
- Renewable Energy production and potential in EU Rural Areas, Joint Research Centre (2024)
- Climate change in mountain areas: Meeting the challenge of adapting water management and tourism. Report. Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires (ANCT) (2024)
- Restoring soil health – Resources from the soil deal for Europe
- European Commission Communication on a comprehensive approach to mental health (2023); Best Practice Portal - public health
- The impact of high energy prices on the agricultural sector and rural areas (European Economic and Social Committee, December 2023)
- Enabling energy communities: A toolkit for just transition regions (European Commission, November 2023)
- Guidance documents on setting up and maintaining rural energy communities (Rural Energy Community Advisory Hub, European Commission, 2023)
- Empowering rural communities through social and solidarity economy: Observations and Case Studies (DIESIS Network)
- Newcomers and ‘Roots Migrants’: Chain Migrations and the Revitalization of Rural Shrinking Areas in Spain (Alonso-Pardo, P., Oso, L. & Santaballa, L., 2023)
- Renewing Rural Homes: Recommendations for Energy Poverty Mitigation (RENOVERTY, July 2024)
Prosperous rural areas
- Story maps on mountain value chains (MOVING)
- Inspiring, immersive stories combining text, interactive maps, and other multimedia content about the 23 selected reference mountain regions.
- Digital stories on mountain value chains (MOVING)
- Virtual library of rural business models and strategies (RUBIZMO)
- Business transformation support tool (RUBIZMO)
- Toolkit for cooperation and networking (RUBIZMO)
- Training resources for rural businesses (RUBIZMO)
- Supporting the rural economy through living labs (LIVERUR)
- Liège Roadmap for Social Economy in the European Union (Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU, February 2024)
- Data on specific themes or sectors
- Agriculture and agrifood
- Digitalisation
- Rural in digital index (European Digital Scoreboard)
- Rural Digital Europe Dashboard of the Horizon 2020 Desira project (desira2020.eu)
- Tourism
- Tourism dashboard
- Tourism and rural development (European Committee of Regions, World Tourism Organisation, 2024)
Cross-cutting
- Rural Vision Action Plan
- European Commission
- Enhancing stakeholder involvement in EU bioeconomy policy (2024)
- Study on funding for EU rural areas (April 2024)
- The long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas: key achievements and ways forward (March 2024)
- The cohesion policy driving development in rural areas (2024)
- Forging a sustainable future together: Cohesion for a competitive and inclusive Europe (February 2024)
- Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council: Summary of CAP Strategic Plans for 2023-2027: joint effort and collective ambition (November 2023)
- Strategic Dialogue on the future of EU agriculture (September 2024)
- Committee of the Regions (CoR)
- Rural areas and the geography of discontent (2024)
- The cost of non-rurality: Preparing for a better urban-rural balance in EU funding (2023)
- The state of regions and cities in the European Union (2024)
- European Economic and Social Committee
- Joint Research Centre
- Revitalizing rural areas through innovation and entrepreneurship: public and private initiatives to train, attract and retain human capital (December 2024)
- Developing a definition of Functional Rural Areas in the EU (Publication)(Online platform) (2024)
- Innovation for place-based transformations (January 2024)
- Opportunities and challenges for remote rural areas in the European Union (November 2023)
- The Self-Assessment Tool for Territorial and Local Development Strategies (SAT4TER)
- OECD
- Rural discontent (November 2024)
- OECD Regions and Cities at a Glance 2024 (December 2024)
- Assessing the framework conditions for social innovation in rural areas (May 2024)
- Rural development and rural well-being
- Fostering Agriculture and Rural Policy Dialogue (June 2023)
- World Observatory on Subnational Government Finance and Investment
- Policies for the Future of Farming and Food in the European Union, (2023)
- Towards resilient food systems: Implications of supply chain disruptions and policy responses (2023)
- Eurostat
- Horizon projects & stakeholders
- Policy and research recommendations for rural areas (SHERPA project, February 2024)
- Rural areas and rural policy in Europe - Comparative approach to five countries: Germany, Spain, Estonia, Ireland and Poland (Acadie Cooperative, January 2024)
- Inventory of methods and tools (TOOLS4CAP, 2024)
- ‘Implementation of the Territorial Agenda 2030: Joining Forces for Rural Areas – Impulses for cooperative regional development in Germany and Europe (Federal Institute for research on building, urban affairs and spatial development, December 2023)
- European Rural Community Alliance (ERCA)
- A compass for local empowerment (July 2024)
- European Parliamentary Research Service
- European Network for Rural Development (ENRD)
- International Labour Organization tools on work in the rural economy
- Foresight
- Rural trend cards (RURALIZATION)
- Scenarios for EU rural areas by 2040 (Joint Research Centre)
- New guide to rural proofing (Spanish Rural Development Network)