For the past year, the SHERPA Multi-Actor Platforms have been working on the Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas. The outcome of this exercise is gathered in the 20 MAP Position Papers.
They have explored visions and desired futures by 2040 for their rural areas, identifying opportunities, challenges and enablers for achieving those visions. The work carried out included desk research and the use of quantitative data (e.g. development indicators, demography etc.), interviews with key informants, and the design, implementation and analysis of online surveys, reaching more than 1 100 respondents from across Europe.
The challenges and opportunities identified for the future of rural areas cover a range of thematic domains, many of which are not tackled by traditional rural policies. These domains include the provision of basic services (education, health, mobility), digitalisation, innovation and culture.
Explore each MAP Position Paper to better understand the envisioned desirable futures for rural Europe and how these contribute to the overall Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas.
Get to know more about each MAP by browsing the Rural Interfaces section on the website or directly through the map on our homepage. The information and knowledge gathered in these 20 MAP Position Papers has fed into the SHERPA Position Paper on the Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas.