This paper develops a methodology to define functional rural areas in the EU. It seeks feedback on the method and the results. Functional rural areas cover all the territory outside functional urban areas. They are constructed in three steps. First, we define rural centres: they are the largest...

Quantitative indicators at the local level play an increasingly important role in the formulation and evaluation of regional policies. Regional statistical indicators are available from several sources, but comparability of their time-series is often affected by breaks caused by boundary changes...