A recent ENRD workshop – that took place in Brussels, on 21 May 2019 - sought to address a pressing issue for many EU Member States facing population decline in rural areas.

The event explored how Rural Development Programmes (RDPs) and other EU policies, can contribute to the challenge of countering unwanted demographic trends. Participants had the opportunity to learn from national and local initiatives to attract people to stay in or return to rural areas, sharing lessons on how to address depopulation and identify opportunities.