Promoting social inclusion, poverty reduction and economic development in rural areas

The priority at a glance

Some 14% of the population in the EU’s predominantly rural regions suffers from employment rates of less than half the EU average, and there are areas of low per-capita GDP. Much can be done to help create a wider variety of better quality jobs and an improved level of overall local development, including through information and communication technologies (ICT).

Areas of intervention (Focus areas):

  1. Facilitating diversification, creation of new small enterprises and job creation.
  2. Promoting local development in rural areas.
  3. Enhancing accessibility to, and use and quality of ICT in rural areas.

Lessons learned 2007-2013

Links to relevant ENRD work providing a deeper understanding of how to support social inclusion with effective RDP programming and implementation.

  • Rural Review 6: Employment and Social Inclusion [PDF en fr es de it pl hr] focuses on encouraging rural employment, tackling rural poverty and improving the quality of life.
  • The EAFRD projects brochure on Social inclusion [PDF en] highlights a range of social inclusion project examples from across rural Europe co-financed by the EAFRD.
  • The youth and young farmers gateway offers relevant information and resources on the support offered to young farmers and young people in rural areas in the EU. In particular the ENRD “Youth thematic initiative” has been looking at ways to improve RDP support to youth-related projects.
  • The EAFRD projects brochure on Young farmers and younger people in rural Europe [PDF en] provides a selection of project examples showing how the EAFRD can help to provide development opportunities for young farmers and younger people in rural Europe.
  • Social Farming  is a NRN Joint Thematic Initiative launched with the purpose to identify and analyses the opportunities and obstacles presented by national/regional RDPs 2007-2013 for the implementation of Social Farming/green care activities in the EU-27.
  • Social Aspects of Rural Entrepreneurship
  • Library on the Rural Entrepreneurship Gateway providing materials and project examples on Inclusion of Specific Target Groups
  • Library on the Rural Entrepreneurship Gateway providing materials and project examples on Social Services and Farming
  • Library on the Rural Entrepreneurship Gateway providing materials and project examples on Social Entrepreneurship
  • This section provides information on ICT application in the rural areas.
  • EAFRD project brochure on Information and Communication technology (ICT) . [PDF en fr de it es pl] highlights how ICT is being used as an essential tool for unlocking the potential of rural areas, making them more attractive places to live, work and visit.
  • Rural Review 10: Rural entrepreneurship [PDF en fr es de it pl hr] provides a closer look at how EU agriculture and rural development policy help promote rural entrepreneurship.