How to address rural depopulation in mountain areas? [31 / 05 / 2019]
How to combat depopulation and make rural areas vibrant again? This was the question addressed during the ENRD Workshop on May 21, 2019. The event explored the role of Rural Development Programmes and other EU […]
Territorial brands in the Alpine region: a chance for a better valorisation of regional products? [31 / 05 / 2019]
Branding and labelling mountain products answer various needs: clarification for consumers, protection of producers and promotion of traditional know-hows and local identities. Territorial brands are thus flourishing, including in the Alpine region. To better understand […]
Interview of the month: meeting with Milan Boleslav, from the Union of Marginalized Areas (Czech Republic) [28 / 05 / 2019]
Svaz Marginálních Oblastí is the Czech Union of Marginalized Areas, an organisation representing mountain farmers. Created in 2002, the Union gathers more than 300 farms in the country, defending extensive production models and the various […]
The brown bear reappears in Portugal after almost two centuries [23 / 05 / 2019]
Biodiversity has recently been in the spotlight mainly due to news about biodiversity loss and species going extinct (see the latest IPBES Global Assessment report published on 06/05/2019). But for the first time since 1843, […]
From farm to fork: Romania launches on-farm Local Gastronomic Points [22 / 05 / 2019]
In 2019 Romania adopted a new set of measures facilitating the promotion of local products and enabling farmers to set Local Gastronomic Points on their lands. The package aims at encouraging rural development as well […]
Become an expert of “Social innovation in rural areas”! [16 / 05 / 2019]
A one-week training course on social innovation in rural areas will take place at the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza on 18-22 November 2019. The course is organised in the framework of the H2020 EU-funded […]
Cultural Routes: an e-learning tool to drive mountain areas on the path of sustainable tourism [15 / 05 / 2019]
The first online training course on Cultural Routes is now available. Developed within the Routes4U programme, this e-learning module aims at fostering regional development in macro-regions through the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe. […]
How can multifunctionality address the challenges of mountain farming? [14 / 05 / 2019]
In times of increasing challenges of the social and economic viability of European farms, especially those in mountainous and remote areas, an option worth considering is multifunctional farming. By diversifying their activities, farmers can secure […]
EU food quality schemes: have your say! [10 / 05 / 2019]
The European Commission’s Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI) published a new roadmap on quality schemes. The roadmap’s purpose is to assess how effective, efficient, relevant and consistent quality schemes are regarding […]
Transhumance as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage? [8 / 05 / 2019]
The wide range of practices, know-hows, skills, ethnographic elements, toponyms, festivals, gastronomy, and events linked to transhumance, together with its socio-environmental benefits, has prompted Italy, Austria and Greece to present Transhumance as a candidate for […]
2019 Broadband awards: are you fast enough? [6 / 05 / 2019]
The European Commission has launched the 2019 edition of the Broadband awards. This broadband competition across Europe aims at showcasing projects improving high-speed network, highlighting good practices and facilitating the exchange of digital expertise. Winners […]
When circular economy meets bioeconomy in rural areas [3 / 05 / 2019]
In October 2018, the European Commission put forward an action plan “to develop a sustainable and circular bioeconomy that serves Europe’s society, environment and economy”, referred to as an update of the 2012 Bioeconomy Strategy […]
Invisible pollution travelling to the mountains: microplastics in the Pyrenees [2 / 05 / 2019]
Imagine walking through the Pyrenees. Snow lying on the mountaintops, insects buzzing around the flowers, sheep grazing the pastures, an icy river fed by the last Pyrenean glaciers. Such a pristine environment, seemingly […]
Our forests, our future [29 / 04 / 2019]
Forests cover 42% of the European Union territory and are part of our natural heritage. If they are currently facing various issues, such as forest fires, they can also be part of the answer to […]
Do the Alps need a sustainable tourism task officer ? [26 / 04 / 2019]
“Overtourism”, “smart management of tourist flows”, “protection of natural heritage sites” are part of the many challenges the Alpine region is facing. So far, different relevant initiatives have been developed in the territory, from eco-hostels […]
