This report by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) summarises the results of a foresight study on the future of EU rural areas 2040.
A set of four scenarios were developed in a participatory process with the European Network for Rural Development (ENRD) Thematic Group on the Long Term Rural Vision between September and December 2020. The scenarios describe possible alternative futures for rural areas in the EU, ranging from pronounced depopulation and land use specialisation to diversified and expanding rural areas. The exercise contributes to the discussions and the development of the long-term vision for EU rural areas put forward by the European Commission in 2021.
