Europe’s jewels: mountains, islands and sparsely populated areas

Europe’s mountains, islands and sparsely populated areas, they also face major hurdles. They may lack adequate transport links and be located far from markets since they are often in peripheral areas or constitute border regions. They may face significant growth limitations and have small markets that do not allow for economies of scale. Their ecosystems may be vulnerable to climate change and they may lack human capital and adequate health, social and education services. In addition, their research and innovation capacity may be weak.

A new expert analysis1 financed by the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG Regio) provides insight into how 15 EU countries are using available resources and possibilities such as increased co-financing rates to implement projects aimed at improving people’s lives, promoting sustainable growth, creating jobs, protecting the environment – and more.

Specifically, it focuses on actions relating to jobs, growth and investment, as well as European Territorial Cooperation (ETC) co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Cohesion Fund (CF).