The Rural toolkit is an online platform designed to serve as a comprehensive guide to EU funding and support opportunities for rural areas in the European Union. It aims to assist local authorities, institutions, stakeholders, businesses and individuals in identifying and utilising EU funds, programmes and initiatives to foster development in rural territories. This report, Learning from the Rural toolkit, aims to share and analyse the knowledge gained from creating this platform. The report is structured into five main chapters: an overview of the main policy needs in EU rural areas, an illustration of available funding resources and their components (e.g. management types, support types, target categories, thematic focus), an overview of the benefits of using multiple funds for rural development, an examination of the factors for successful funds combination and the conclusions drawn from this investigation. The policy context is set by the long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas (LTVRA), introduced by European Commission President von der Leyen in 2021. This vision aims to make rural areas stronger, connected, resilient and prosperous by 2040. The Rural toolkit aligns with the LTVRA’s implementation strategy, which includes actions such as rural proofing, the EU Rural Observatory, the Rural Pact and this toolkit on EU funding opportunities for rural areas.
TESTORI Giulia;
FIORETTI Carlotta;
SARACENO Pier;
GUZZO Fabrizio;
STAVROPOULOS Eleftherios;
2025-04-01
Publications Office of the European Union
JRC140274
978-92-68-24250-6 (online),
1831-9424 (online),
EUR 40226,
OP KJ-01-25-078-EN-N (online),
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC140274,
10.2760/6478716 (online),
