What is the new rural paradigm? Its main characteristics are a focus on places rather than sectors and an emphasis on investments rather than subsidies. In an era of reduced agricultural employment, this report highlights the important and diverse challenges facing rural areas, their unused...

This review discusses the challenges and opportunities of German rural areas. Significant differences between East and West persist and many of these have clear rural dimensions. Factors such as CAP reforms, ageing of the German population and migration trends will also have important rural...

Part I of this book provides a comparative overview across the region for SME policy development in 10 thematic areas. Part II provides a series of country profiles presenting analysis of the particular situation of the SME sector and the SME policy environment in every partner country. Part III...