Looking at policies through the rural lens – browse through a range of materials from our Policy Lab
- Rural Pact
- Rural Revitalisation Platform
- Stronger Rural Areas
- Connected rural areas
- Resilient rural areas
- Prosperous rural areas
Rural proofing is not just a policy tool – it is a shift in mindset, requiring inclusive design, robust local data, open dialogue, and acknowledgement of the diversity of European rural areas. Explore videos and presentations from the dedicated Policy Lab of 12 June 2025.
Image by Olgkalina on Canva
The event saw an exchange on the rationale, methods, challenges and mechanisms of applying rural proofing across policies at national and regional levels. It concluded that rural proofing is not a one-off check at the end of a policy process – it is about embedding rural thinking into every stage, from agenda-setting and impact assessment, to delivery and evaluation.
Browse through the video recordings, speaker presentations and a range of useful background material on the Policy Lab web page.
Rural proofing is about improving well-being and ensuring that policies reflect the reality of life in rural areas – not leaving rural communities behind, in the words of Betty-Ann Bryce, policy analyst at the OECD. In practical terms, the process needs to be underpinned by:
- tools that make rural realities visible and understandable: data dashboards, mapping tools, and indicators;
- institutional anchoring: dedicated roles, inter-ministerial cooperation, and political will; and
- effective societal engagement processes: networks and intermediary bodies.
Policy Lab participants explored how to integrate rural proofing into national planning cycles, what governance models work best, and which methodologies offer the most promise, drawing on insights from projects such as GRANULAR, RUSTIK, and Coop4RURALGov.
Look out for the event highlights report which will be made available in the coming weeks.