Preparatory action : smart rural areas in the 21st century : bis : final report (Smart Rural 27 Project)

Smart Villages is a relatively new concept that was first formulated by the European Commission - at the initiation of the European Parliament through the EU Action for Smart Villages in 2017. The 1st Preparatory Action on Smart Rural Areas in the 21st Century (called Smart Rural 21 project, 2019-2024) aimed to promote the uptake of the Smart Villages concept through directly supporting rural communities across Europe in implementing smart village strategies and smart solutions. The aim of the 2nd Preparatory Action on Smart Rural Areas in the 21st Century - Bis (called Smart Rural 27 project, 2020-2024) was to follow-up on the outcomes of the Smart Rural 21 project and help an effective policy support framework emerge at both the local and policymaking levels. The Smart Rural 27 project also set up the European Pilot Smart Villages Observatory to engage stakeholders at all levels through exchange of experience and peer-to-peer learning, with the aim to improve the Smart Villages support framework. The Smart Rural 27 project implemented a range of support activities and analyses, including a smart villages geomapping tool (village/ rural community database), an inventory of Smart Villages resources, a series of events and related materials organised in the context of the European Pilot Smart Villages Observatory, a series of creative products (podcasts, short documentaries, lighthouse factsheets) to promote inspiring Smart Villages approaches, the analysis of the CAP and other policies across all Member States (resulting in CAP factsheets in English and national languages for all the CAP Strategic Plans and a CAP Strategic Plans Synthesis Report), and reports on Covid-19 and the impact of Smart Villages on the European Green Deal, Farm to Fork and Biodiversity strategies.