Latest news
Rural innovation needs stronger networks, skills and place-based support, Startup Village Forum highlights
Rural businesses are actively innovating, but stronger cooperation, access to skills and services, and place-based support are needed to unlock their potential. These were key messages from the European Startup Village Forum 2026, held on 15 October in Brussels.
- Rural Pact
- Rural Revitalisation Platform
Smart Villages in practice: new report highlights what makes community-led approaches work
Smart Villages work best as community-led development processes rather than isolated projects, according to a new Rural Pact report. Drawing on implementation experience across selected EU Member States, it examines funding models, local partnerships and the practical conditions needed to turn community strategies into action.
- Rural Pact
- Rural Revitalisation Platform
Strengthening rural economies through integrated approaches – Policy Lab presentations and videos now available
Strengthening rural economies requires integrated approaches combining business development, innovation, skills and essential services, tailored to the needs of different territories. A Rural Pact Policy Lab in Kotka, Finland, explored how these priorities could inform the future National and Regional Partnership Plans (NRPPs).
- Rural Pact
- Rural Revitalisation Platform
Latest publications
Mapping the implementation of Smart Villages: lessons from across the EU
This Rural Pact report examines the implementation of Smart Villages under the 2023-2027 common agricultural policy (CAP), exploring different approaches adopted by Member States, including dedicated interventions and support through LEADER.
- Rural Pact
- Rural Revitalisation Platform
Rural Vision Magazine | Edition 4
The fourth edition of the Rural Vision Magazine brings together rural stakeholder perspectives on a wealth of topics, including the future EU policy framework, integrated rural development and how the Rural Pact is taking shape across Europe.
- Rural Pact
- Rural Revitalisation Platform
Good Practice Brochure 'Instruments for territorial development'
The third edition of the Rural Pact Good Practice Brochure focuses on territorial development. It highlights how integrated approaches like LEADER/CLLD, Integrated Territorial Investments (ITIs) and Smart Villages can help improve quality of life in rural areas.
- Rural Pact
- Rural Revitalisation Platform
Latest good practice
e-Square: a multi-service community hub in rural Wallonia, Belgium
- Rural Pact
- Rural Revitalisation Platform
Smart Village development in practice: the Socjometr Foundation model in Pękowice
- Rural Pact
- Rural Revitalisation Platform
Smart Villages in rural Romania: building local capacity for community-led strategies
- Rural Pact
- Rural Revitalisation Platform