Pretežno ruralna područja čine polovicu Europe i obuhvaćaju otprilike 20 % stanovništva. No većina ruralnih područja također je među najmanje razvijenim regijama u EU-u s BDP-om po glavi stanovnika osjetno manjim od europskog prosjeka.
In order to help rural regions grow and raise employment and living standards, the European Union’s rural development policy has set three overarching objectives: improving the competitiveness of agriculture, achieving sustainable management of natural resources and climate action, and a balanced territorial development of rural areas. EU cohesion policy shares these objectives. The European regional development fund (ERDF) and the European social fund (ESF) therefore work to complement the European agricultural fund for rural development (EAFRD).
The following are the main areas in which the ERDF is active:
Creation of jobs outside the agriculture industry (new businesses, development of tourism related activities etc.);
Development of access and connections between cities and rural areas, especially in the context of the information society;
Support for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the agriculture industry (support for innovation and the development of new products), the agro-alimentary industry and the forestry industry;
Risk control in the agriculture and forestry industries;
Development of basic infrastructure in villages, particularly in new member states.
No segregation between cities/countryside within the cohesion policy
The structural funds operate simultaneously in rural and urban areas, so it is therefore difficult to determine exactly what proportion of the expenditure goes to rural development. Nevertheless, here is a table showing the distribution of funds available for the Cohesion Policy 2007-2013, according to the type of area.
