Connected rural areas

24 fév 2026

Apply for the 2026 NEB Prizes and NEB Boost for Small Municipalities

Applications are open for the New European Bauhaus (NEB) Prizes and the NEB Boost for Small Municipalities, celebrating projects which showcase the NEB values of sustainability, inclusion and beauty.  Submit your entry by 17 March 2026.

20 fév 2026

Castilla-La Mancha reverses demographic decline in depopulated rural areas through long-term policy commitment and territorial investment

The Spanish region Castilla-La Mancha had faced long-standing demographic challenges in its rural interior. Around three-quarters of its municipalities had lost population over recent decades, and many small towns’ population densities are far below the national average, reflecting sustained out-migration and population ageing.

18 fév 2026

Empowering rural futures: OECD, DG REGIO and rural stakeholders share their views on what contributes to the right to stay

The Permanent Delegation to the EU of the Castilla y León region, acting as part of the Demographic Change Regions Network, held a conference on 13 February on the right to stay in rural areas. The meeting, at the European Committee of the Regions, allowed for discussion in the context of the upcoming EU strategy on this right.