Europe Direct centres strengthen communication and engagement in rural areas
- Rural Pact
- Rural Revitalisation Platform
- Stronger Rural Areas
- Connected rural areas
- Resilient rural areas
- Prosperous rural areas
Rural communities across Europe often face challenges in accessing information about EU policies and opportunities. Recognising this, Europe Direct centres are strengthening efforts to ensure that citizens in rural areas are informed, consulted and actively engaged in shaping EU initiatives.
@European Union, 2026
By focusing on practical activities, participatory methods and tailored communication strategies, Europe Direct centres aim to make EU policies more visible and relevant beyond urban hubs.
To help centres learn more about communicating with rural communities, an interactive Rural Pact workshop took place during Europe Direct’s 2026 general meeting in Brussels. It brought together 50 centre representatives from across the EU, who took on the roles of rural people and worked in groups to design initiatives for imaginary villages.
The resulting proposed actions included citizen panels, festivals showcasing EU opportunities, intergenerational gatherings and shared mobility solutions, emphasising practical engagement rather than standalone communication campaigns.
The workshop illustrated the effectiveness of inclusive and participatory approaches, which foster creativity, motivation and local ownership of communication initiatives and allow participants with varying levels of experience to contribute. It also underlined the importance of linking communication strategies to tangible activities in rural communities, ensuring that Europe Direct centres serve as local hubs for dialogue and citizen participation.
The general meeting, held on 12-13 March, marked the launch of the 2026-2030 Europe Direct network, which includes 85 new centres and 315 renewed ones. The event focused on strengthening local engagement, democratic participation and exchanging best practices across all communities.