European Rural Regions: Current Trends, Future Prospects

The inclusion of the above statement as one of the key objectives in the draft Constitution for Europe is indicative of the significance of spatial equity to the members of the European Union. Implicit within this statement is a concern for rural regions as illustrated at the Salzburg Conference. In many respects this concern with rural regions sets the EU apart and hints at the central importance of a diversity of cultures and societies that is a key component of the EU’s character. Unsurprisingly then, the issue of rural and regional development is frequently the topic of heated debate as exemplified by the reform of the Common Agriculture Policy, the Common Fisheries Policy and the proposed reform of the Structural Funds. The primary objective of this paper is to present a brief overview of the contemporary social and economic status of Europe’s rural regions and the trends influencing them before posing some key questions regarding the EU’s future role in this area. In order to place this issue within a EU context, the initial part of this paper reviews the development of the EU’s rural and regional development policy. A brief profile of some broad socio-economic characteristics of Europe’s rural regions is then presented along with an outline of some of the contemporary trends impacting on their development. The first section of the paper is largely descriptive outlining the development of the EU regional policy and the economic and demographic characteristics of the regions. The second part considers some of the issues that confront the Union through a series of questions pertaining to the EU’s future role in rural regional development.