On May 21, 2025, PREPARE AISBL actively participated in the FUTURAL EU Policy Webinar titled “Smarter, Stronger and More Competitive Rural Areas: The Way Forward for EU Policies.” This event convened over 140 participants, including policymakers, researchers, and rural development practitioners, to discuss the role of community-led innovation in shaping the future of rural Europe.
The webinar, organized by the European Association for Innovation in Local Development (AEIDL) and supported by the European Local Innovation Forum (ELIF), was held at a pivotal time as the EU prepares its next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2028–2034. Discussions centered on how social, technological, and business innovations can serve as key levers for vibrant, competitive, and inclusive rural development .
Key Highlights:
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Policy Analysis Findings: Carla Lostrangio (AEIDL) presented key findings from the FUTURAL policy analysis, highlighting that innovation policies rarely directly target rural areas and even less so communities. The analysis emphasized the need to reinforce rural innovation through clear budget lines in both the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and Cohesion Policy, strengthening tools such as the Smart Villages instrument and CLLD/LEADER .
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EU-Level Insights: Alexia Rouby (DG AGRI – European Commission) discussed the EU-level policy framework for rural innovation and competitiveness, underlining the need for communities to invent new solutions to their challenges. She emphasized that skills development and investments are vital enablers to rural innovation and invited actors to engage with the Commission in updating the Rural Action Plan .
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Policy Recommendations: Serafin-Pazos-Vidal (AEIDL) introduced eight initial policy recommendations from the FUTURAL project, validated at the first meeting of the European Rural Innovation Forum. These recommendations aim to strengthen smart, community-led innovation in the post-2027 EU policy landscape, including formal recognition of community-led innovation’s transformative role and the application of the ‘Do no harm to EU Cohesion’ principle across all territorially relevant EU policies .
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Civil Society Perspectives: Guoda Burokiene (President of PREPARE), along with representatives from ELARD and ERCA, shared concrete examples of rural innovation practices from across Europe. They highlighted emerging trends influencing rural innovation, such as digital transformation and demographic changes, and identified key barriers like limited digital infrastructure and bureaucratic complexity. The speakers advocated for dedicated rural programs beyond agriculture, simplified funding rules, and the recognition of Local Action Groups (LAGs) and existing rural networks as rural innovation hubs .
Looking Ahead:
The FUTURAL project will integrate the outputs of this discussion into its forthcoming report on existing policy and governance frameworks for smart community-led innovation, to be published in the coming months on the FUTURAL website.
PREPARE remains committed to supporting rural communities and amplifying their voices at the European level. We encourage all stakeholders to engage in ongoing discussions and contribute to shaping inclusive and effective EU rural policies.
For more information and to stay updated on future events, please visit the FUTURAL project website.
