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Connected rural areas

Latest news

© European Union, 2025
27 Oct 2025

Empowering local communities for a sustainable Europe: insights from EU Regions Week 2025

Europe is at its best when it empowers local actors – a theme that echoed throughout the 2025 European Week of Regions and Cities (13–16 October, Brussels). The Rural Pact Support Office took part in several sessions, exploring how local and regional authorities are driving the green, digital, and demographic transitions. Explore the insights revealing that empowering local communities is essential to building a more cohesive, sustainable, and future-ready Europe.

  • Rural Pact
  • Rural Revitalisation Platform
Image by European Union
20 Oct 2025

STRAT-Board: a new tool to explore Europe’s Integrated Territorial Strategies

Explore the interactive STRAT-Board platform for a visual overview of integrated territorial strategies across Europe. The tool maps out strategies supported under cohesion policy funds during both the 2014–2020 and 2021–2027 programming periods, offering valuable insights for rural, regional, and urban development.

  • Rural Pact
  • Rural Revitalisation Platform
Image by Brett Sayles on Canva
13 Oct 2025

OECD report sets out policy recommendations to bridge rural-urban broadband gaps

A new OECD report underscores the need to address persistent broadband connectivity divides between urban and rural areas, revealing that despite overall improvements in broadband access, rural regions continue to lag. It sets out policy recommendations for strengthened strategies and targeted actions to help close connectivity divides.

  • Rural Pact
  • Rural Revitalisation Platform

Upcoming events

Policy Lab

Rural areas and communities in the post-2027 EU budget and policies

  • Rural Pact
  • Rural Revitalisation Platform
Calendar
Calendar

RURACTIVE project Forum meeting

  • Rural Pact
  • Rural Revitalisation Platform
Calendar

Latest publications

Highlights Report | Policy Lab ‘Rural proofing: looking at policies through the rural lens’
Event Highlights |

Highlights Report | Policy Action Lab 'Rural proofing: looking at policies through the rural lens'

This highlights report summarises the key messages and discussions at the dedicated Policy Action Lab of 12 June 2025, hosted online by the Rural Pact Support Office.

  • Rural Pact
  • Rural Revitalisation Platform
Highlights Report | Good Practice Webinar ‘Rural innovation'
Event Highlights |

Highlights Report | Good Practice Webinar ‘Rural innovation’

This highlights report outlines inspiring initiatives and practical ways to strengthen innovation ecosystems and empower local communities to drive local innovation action.

  • Rural Pact
  • Rural Revitalisation Platform
Policy Action Lab ‘Enhancing policy coordination for vibrant rural areas’
Event Highlights |

Highlights Report | Policy Action Lab ‘Enhancing policy coordination for vibrant rural areas’

This highlights report outlines the main messages and outputs of the Policy Action Lab of 28 November 2024, hosted by the Rural Pact Support Office.

  • Rural Pact

Latest good practice

Regional innovation hub boosts sustainable food supply and resilience in rural Slovenia
Methodology | 09 Jun 2025

Regional innovation hub boosts sustainable food supply and resilience in rural Slovenia

  • Rural Pact
  • Rural Revitalisation Platform
Rural Radicals: connecting urban creativity and rural regeneration
Case Study | 09 Jun 2025

Rural Radicals: connecting urban creativity and rural regeneration

  • Rural Pact
  • Rural Revitalisation Platform
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