- How the phenomenon of depopulation in the EU is taking place?
- Which are the historical and contemporary causes?
- How to promote economic and social development in rural depopulated areas starting from best practices?


According to the United Nations Population Division, the projected population decline and ageing will have profound and far-reaching consequences in the EU, forcing Governments to reassess many established economic, social and political policies and programmes, including those relating to international migration. Demographic change in Europe is increasingly becoming a major policy
challenge. Predominantly, rural regions currently account for 28% of Europe’s population. Over the past decades a shrinking population has become the normal trajectory for many rural regions as agriculture has been restructured and population and employment have become increasingly
concentrated in urban centres. By 2050, the population of Europe’s urban regions is projected to
increase by 24.1 million persons and will provide home to almost half of the EU-28 population
(Eurostat 2016). By contrast, the population of predominantly rural regions is projected to fall by 7.9 million.

Rural development for Employment project starts from an analysis on the effects of rural depopulation In Europe and the needs of the communities to link together realities experiencing similar issues in order to give them the possibilities to cooperate and support each other. We aim to explore possibilities of rural development in order to tackle unemployment and depopulation through sustainable tourism and sustainable start up among the others. We will offer tools and guidance for unemployed adults, entrepreneurs and workers employed in rural areas willing to start sustainable development activities. Moreover, we build bridges between companies, institutions and authorities in order to raise awareness on the key role of cultural heritage in defining a European identity so promoting the importance of EU values and opportunities.