Anchoring rural areas in the NRPPs: Policy Lab highlights report available

The event, held on 3 June 2026 in Brussels, brought together around 120 participants from 23 countries. Organised by the Rural Pact Support Office in cooperation with DG AGRI and DG REGIO, it explored how the proposed National and Regional Partnership Plans (NRPPs) could support rural communities and how rural stakeholders can be involved in their planning and preparation.

Integrated approaches to rural development

The report highlights the importance of integrated strategies and place-based instruments, including LEADER/Community-led Local Development (CLLD) and Integrated Territorial Investments (ITIs), to help rural areas benefit from the opportunities offered by the proposed NRPPs. It also presents experiences from Spain, France and Italy illustrating approaches to territorial strategies, rural innovation and the coordination of funding instruments.

Discussions underlined that rural support can address a wide range of needs, from public services and entrepreneurship to social inclusion and demographic challenges. Effective implementation requires cooperation across governance levels and the involvement of local communities in defining territorial priorities.

Monitoring support to rural areas

The report examines the proposed performance framework and territorial coding, including the rural code intended to track funding planned and spent in rural areas. Experiences from Finland and Greece illustrate how granular territorial classifications and better-connected datasets can support funding allocation, rural proofing and the assessment of territorial impacts.

Strengthening stakeholder participation

A further focus is the application of the partnership principle in NRPP design and implementation. Examples from Poland, Estonia and Austria demonstrate different arrangements for involving public authorities, Local Action Groups, civil society and other rural stakeholders.

The report stresses the importance of early and continuous engagement, broad representation, accessible participation and transparent feedback. It also highlights the need to support stakeholders’ capacity to engage and to provide clarity on the planning process, responsibilities and timing.

Read the full highlights report to explore the detailed findings, European Commission perspectives and Member State experiences. 

Browse through the speaker presentations and video recordings, available on the event page.