European Economic
and Social Committee
CURRENT AFFAIRS: #EURegionsWeek 2026
Strong regions, strong Europe: why rural proofing matters
When people talk about Europe’s future, the conversation often focuses on major cities, innovation hubs and industrial centres. Yet Europe’s strength depends just as much on places that rarely make the headlines: small towns, villages, islands, mountain areas and remote communities. These areas produce food and energy, manage natural resources, preserve cultural heritage and help protect the landscapes on which Europe’s quality of life depends.
The motto of the 2026 European Week of Regions and Cities, Strong regions, strong Europe, captures a simple reality: Europe’s long-term prosperity depends on the vitality of all of its regions. Regions that lose population, services and opportunities often see widening social and economic gaps and decline in trust.
From northern Scandinavia to the Mediterranean islands, many rural and remote areas face familiar challenges. Young people leave in search of opportunities, essential services become harder to access, public transport options shrink and labour shortages grow. Yet these communities are increasingly expected to help address challenges that concern all Europeans – from climate adaptation and biodiversity protection to renewable energy production, food security and natural resource management.
This is where the rural proofing of policies comes in. Rural proofing starts with a simple test: how will this work outside large urban centres? A measure that functions well in a city may create unexpected difficulties in a remote village, on an island or in a sparsely populated region. Considering those impacts early in policy-making helps avoid unintended consequences and leads to better, fairer policies. Rural proofing recognises that policies affect people differently depending on where they live. Its purpose is also to ensure that policy-makers ‘think rural’ from the earliest stages of policy design. That is why the European Economic and Social Committee is recommending in one of its latest opinions, for which I have been rapporteur, the implementation of rural proofing into all relevant policy areas.
Ultimately, this is not just a question of regional policy. It is about ensuring that every community has a fair opportunity to contribute to Europe’s future and benefit from it.
People should not have to leave their region simply because essential services, jobs or housing are unavailable. Investment matters, but money alone does not create thriving regions. They grow when policies reflect local realities, listen to local voices and unlock the potential that already exists.
Rural proofing offers a practical way to achieve that goal, helping ensure that Europe’s future is shaped not only in its largest cities, but in every part of the continent.
Lidija PAVIĆ-ROGOŠIĆ (Croatia)
Vice-President, EESC Civil Society Organisations' Group
Founder and Director, ODRAZ - Sustainable Community Development
Rapporteur, EESC own-initiative opinion NAT/982 on 'A rural proofing tool to unlock the full potential of rural areas and communities through better rural-centred EU policymaking for a fair and sustainable EU'
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