As the ENRD has become part of the EU CAP Network, this website will no longer be updated. It remains available in a static form as a reference of all the previous activities, however all the interactive features such as the login, as well as the main search of the website and advanced filtering of the databases (e.g. LAG & Project databases) will not be available. You will find all the new and up to date information on the EU CAP Network website. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Policy in Action

What is rural development?

Rural development is about meeting the challenges and opportunities facing rural areas. It is about ensuring rural prosperity and quality of life, but it also concerns the whole of society; it is about the quality and safety of our food, the health of our environments, and jobs and growth.

EU Rural Development policy

European Union Member States have sought to respond to the 21st century challenges and opportunities facing rural areas by developing a common EU Rural Development policy as part of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

This section of the ENRD website explains the broader framework in which the EU’s Rural Development policy operates in the 2014-2020 programming period; provides a comprehensive list of the relevant legislative acts; and overviews the policy implementation. Finally, it provides facts and figures on the main elements of the policy.

Click on the links below to explore Rural Development policy in detail.

See also Rural Development policy in the 2007-2013 programming period.