• fr
  • en

The EU published its new Report on the Impact of Demographic Change

Rural Europe is more affected by demographic change. This is the message shared by the European Commission in its “Report on the impact of demographic change – in a changing environment”. Presented by European Commission’s Vice-President Dubravka Šuica, Commissioner for Democracy and Demography, last 17 January, this new version of the report updates the data provided by the first edition in 2020.

 

Rural Europe is harder hit by ageing and depopulation

Rural Europe is facing many shrinking demographic trends, as already evidenced by the first Report on the Impact of Demographic Change in 2020. Rural areas as a whole are ageing faster than urban areas, due to natural population decline and out migration. In this respect, young people, and especially young women, seem to be more likely to leave their region.

At the same time, many territories face a lack of attractiveness linked to poor connectivity, infrastructure, services provision, or employment opportunities and therefore struggle to retain or attract populations.

 

Impact of COVID-19 on rural-urban population flows

The intention of this updated report was to take into account the demographic changes related to recent events, such as the war in Ukraine and the COVID-19 pandemic. In this regard, the EU Commission points out that counter-urbanisation trends were visible in Austria, Italy and Spain, although without specifying which types of rural areas have regained attractiveness.

Such a change of mindset can of course be beneficial to rural communities but the report also points out risks that concerned territories must tackle, such as rising housing prices, unsuitable transport offers or increasing use of natural resources.

 

What responses to demographic change?

In response to the challenges arising from demographic change in rural areas, the European Commission advances the following solutions:

  • The development of the Silver Economy in the face of ageing. This industry is promoted as a solution to both improve the quality of life of older rural people and create economic opportunities in these areas.
  • Rural revitalisation efforts to address the loss of attractiveness, supported in particular by the Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas and the 2021-2027 Cohesion Policy and Common Agriculture Policy.
  • A “Talent Booster Mechanism” in response of the lack of qualified workforce in some regions. Further detailed in the Communication on “Harnessing talent in Europe’s regions”, this proposal aims to support regions by developing pilot sites and helping them to implement appropriate strategies.

 

Ageing in rural and mountain areas will be on the agenda of the final conference of our SILVER SMEs project, held in Brussels on 21 February. The event will give the floor to different representatives of mountain territories as well as to representatives of EU institutions. Toma Šutić, in charge of ageing policies within the cabinet of European Commission’s Vice-President Dubravka Šuica, will present how recent EU policies take into account the needs and challenges of rural older adults.

Moreover, Euromontana will continue to look at the impact of COVID-19 on mountain demography and will be involved in the 2023 European Year of Skills to discuss employment needs in mountain areas. We also hope to have more complete statistics on the impact of the war in Ukraine on neighbouring territories, in particular the mountainous region of Podkarpackie, which shared its experience during the XII European Mountain Convention.

Share
30 January 2023

Euromontana sur Facebook

4 hours ago

Euromontana
We were today at the European Committee of the Regions too meet with regional policymakers from the Carpathians ⛰🤝 Thank you to Witold Kozłowski from the Małopolska region - also a new member of our Board of Directors - for our discussions!𝗪𝘀𝗽𝗼́𝗹𝗻𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗠𝗮ł𝗼𝗽𝗼𝗹𝘀𝗸𝗶 𝗶 𝘀𝗶𝗲𝗰𝗶 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗮 𝗻𝗮 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗿. 👍Obecność wicemarszałka Witold Kozłowski w Brukseli podczas 163. Sesji Plenarnej Europejskiego Komitetu Regionów dała okazję do spotkania z dyrektorem Europejskiego Stowarzyszenia Obszarów Górskich Euromontana Guillaume Corradino. | Więcej 👇 ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook

1 day ago

Euromontana
One month since the #mountainconvention2024 in Puigcerdà! 🏔️ What future for #mountaineconomies? Find all the key insights in the event report! 📝🙏 Thank you to all stakeholders who shared their ideas, projects and recommendations for a brighter future in the mountains!Report 🔗 www.euromontana.org/outcomes ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook

3 days ago

Euromontana
Explore the new guide on ‘rural proofing for the evaluation of the rural perspective in laws, policies, plans and strategies’: bit.ly/3O995FiPublished by the Red Española de Desarrollo Rural (REDR), it intends to support authorities in incorporating a rural angle when designing, implementing, and reviewing policies and regulations.Find more information here: bit.ly/4ev41FK #RuralPact #RuralVisionEUELARD aisbl EESC - European Economic and Social Committee European Rural Development Network ODRAZ-Održivi razvoj zajednice Prepare AISBL Luonnonvarakeskus Smeunited Euromontana Diesis Network Wallonie.be ECOLISE EU CAP Network Netzwerk Zukunftsraum Land Vlaams Ruraal Netwerk Réseau wallon PAC Ruralni razvoj RH Ministerstvo zemědělství Netwerk Platteland / Netherlands Rural Network Maaeluvõrgustik Maaseutu - Tilaa elämälle Réseau national Agricultures et Ruralités 2023 - 2027 Deutsche Vernetzungsstelle Ländliche Räume Εθνικό Αγροτικό Δίκτυο - Greek National Rural Network Magyar Nemzeti Vidéki Hálózat CAP Network Ireland Rete Rurale Nazionale Lauku tīkls Ministère de l'Agriculture, de l'Alimentation et de la Viticulture Fondi.eu Krajowa Sieć Obszarów Wiejskich+ Rede Rural Nacional Rețeaua Rurală Națională - RRN Mreža za podeželje ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook

2 weeks ago

Euromontana
Today, members of the Rural Pact Coordination Group (RPCG) meet online to discuss: • The forthcoming RPCG Declaration on the future of EU rural policy, which addresses the open questions in the @European Commission’s ‘key achievements and ways forward’ report;• RPCG members’ position papers on the future of Europe’s rural areas;• RPCG members’ role in the Rural Pact Conference of April 2025;• Members’ actions to date & the Rural Pact Support Office 2025 work programme.More information at: bit.ly/4fwtjnS#RuralPact #RuralVisionEU ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook

Euromontana sur Twitter