Many rural areas in Europe are experiencing a long-term reduction of their population, particularly those in working age (20-64 years old) and youth (less than 20 years old).
The long-term vision for EU’s rural areas, including the Rural Pact have the ambition to support the revitalisation of rural areas suffering from depopulation so that, by 2040, they are stronger, more connected, resilient and prosperous. In this respect, the European Commission is launching the rural revitalisation platform, a one-stop shop for rural communities, rural project holders and local authorities alike to connect, collaborate and get informed.
This Policy Action Lab is the launch event of the rural revitalisation platform. In addition, the event will provide an opportunity to build on the work conducted so far and explore how policies and actions can foster development in rural areas suffering from rural depopulation.