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Policy briefs

Results

Policy and Strategic Uptake

• Vision for More Attractive Rural Areas 2040 continuously updated as a living strategy through participatory consultations involving public authorities, academia, civil society, businesses and rural communities.
• Vision integrated into the preparation of the National Tourism Strategy 2035 in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.
• Vision incorporated into the national working platform supporting the preparation of the National and Regional Development Plan.
• Active membership in the national working group preparing the National Rural Policy Plan (post-2027) under the Ministry of Investments, Regional Development and Informatization.
• Progress achieved towards establishing a legal definition of rural areas through cooperation with the Ministry of Interior.
• Increased visibility of rural development within national strategic planning and stronger alignment between national priorities and long-term rural development objectives.

Governance and Institutional Change

• High-level policy roundtable convened with representatives of key ministries to strengthen cross-sectoral coordination for rural development.
• Adoption of a Resolution of the Governmental Council for NGOs, reinforcing institutional support for participatory rural governance.
• Improved coordination between ministries and strengthened dialogue across policy sectors affecting rural development.
• Development of a sustainable governance framework supporting continued implementation and updating of the Vision beyond the project lifetime.
• Enhanced alignment between EU rural policy priorities and Slovak national and regional policy frameworks.

Regional Action Plan and Policy Innovation

• Development and continuous refinement of the Regional Action Plan (RAP): "From Dialogue to Action: Strengthening Rural–Urban Linkages through Cross-Sector and Multi-Actor Cooperation and Innovation", evolving through five iterative versions based on stakeholder consultations.
• Strengthened rural–urban cooperation through integrated, cross-sectoral and multi-actor approaches.
• Creation of an evidence-based roadmap supporting future policy implementation and post-2027 rural programming.

European Policy Contribution and Recognition

• Slovak Vision recognised as a Good Practice under the EU Rural Pact.
• Vision contributed to the European debate on the just transition of agri-food systems through the CAP Network and related policy discussions.
• Strengthened alignment between Slovak rural policy development and broader European policy objectives and initiatives.

Stakeholder Engagement and Capacity Building

• More than 30 participatory events organised, engaging nearly 1,000 stakeholders from public administration, academia, businesses, NGOs and rural communities.
• Establishment and continuous operation of the Slovak Rural Hub, providing regular news, consultations, knowledge exchange and networking opportunities.
• New partnerships established across government, research organisations, civil society and local communities, strengthening collaborative rural governance.
• Increased stakeholder capacity in foresight, systems thinking, participatory governance and strategic planning.

Knowledge Generation, Communication and Evidence

• Publication of the scientific paper "Addressing the Cross-Sectoral Strategy Gap in Slovak Rural Development", providing evidence for integrated rural policymaking.
• Development of a collection of rural best practices supporting replication, peer learning and policy uptake.
• Strengthened evidence base for future rural policy design, implementation and evaluation.
• Improved transfer of research results into policy processes through continuous dialogue between researchers, policymakers and practitioners.