Alternative futures of rural areas in the EU

Abstract

In this study alternative futures of rural areas in the EU are explored. For this purpose, a comparative analysis of seven scenario studies of rural areas in the EU was conducted. Often, these scenario studies constructed a baseline scenario - derived from an extrapolation of past trends and policies - and a number of alternative scenarios with different degrees of policy intervention. The time horizon in the scenario studies varies from 2020 to 2035. By focusing on a number of main drivers and responses, we were able to distinguish six distinct alternative futures of rural areas in the EU