The new Spatial Development Act, i.e. CII of 2023 states that for Hungary to achieve balanced regional development, it is necessary to address the unique social, economic, and environmental challenges of its regions, improve the population retention capacity of rural areas, and strengthen national and regional identities. This requires the creation and implementation of need-based development programs that are built on sectoral and regional cooperation.For this purpose the law also establishes a new category of areas to be treated jointly.These "co-managed areas" are territories smaller than a NUTS region, clustered by specific spatial development methodologies and principles, in line with wider national planning and development objectives.

The organization of these co-managed areas, including the scope, institutions, and instruments applicable to the territorial units within, is subject to detailed regulation under separate implementing regulations. The primary goal of the law and its implementing regulations is to establish areas where a practical division of functions across small villages, typically located around central urban centres, facilitates efficient, sustainable, and jointly managed development.

The exchange of experiences in the framework of RuralProof will help to further detail and clarify the relevant section(§8)of the law, and it will provide significant knowledge and input to formulate new or in a later stage amend its existing implementing regulations.

European Funds for Lodzkie 2021-2027 (FEŁ2027) is the key policy instrument guiding the region's use of European funds. It outlines a comprehensive strategy for investment and project interventions that align with the region's developmental challenges, as detailed in its key strategic documents.

Key objectives of FEŁ2027 relevant to the RuralProof project include:

P4: European Funds for a Better Connected Lodzkie
RSO3.2: Developing and improving sustainable, climate-resilient, smart, and intermodal mobility at national, regional, and local levels. This includes improving access to the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) and enhancing cross-border mobility.

P5: European Funds for Local Development in Lodzkie
RSO5.2: Supporting integrated and inclusive social, economic, and environmental development at the local level. This encompasses culture, natural heritage, sustainable tourism, and security in non-urban areas.

P6: European Funds for Resident-Friendly Lodzkie
RSO4.3: Promoting socio-economic inclusion of marginalized communities, low-income households, and disadvantaged groups, including those with special needs. This objective involves integrated activities that provide housing and social services.

FEŁ2027's focus on improving connectivity, fostering local development, and promoting socio-economic inclusion aligns well with the goals of RuralProof, ensuring that investments address the region's most pressing needs and contribute to its overall development.

The Regional Policy Guidelines for 2021-2027 aims to enhance all Latvian regions' potentials and reduce socio-economic disparities. This framework supports planning regions and local governments with targeted measures to boost regional competitiveness and improve living standards.

Its key themes include:

1. Regional Economy Development: based on the active actions of planning regions and local governments, provision of support to local governments for the development of business environment, increasing productivity and attracting human resources in regions, as well as developing regional innovation and knowledge systems;

2. Service Efficiency Improvement: through taking into account demographic trends, supporting for the enhancement of energy efficiency of local government service buildings, introduction of smart solutions, access to pre-school education, as well as improving the accessibility of services;

3. Capacity Building: in planning regions, local government administration and other organisations involved in territorial development planning, including civil society groups, providing methodological support for the development of territorial planning documents and implementation of initiatives, ensuring sustainable development and equitable living conditions across regions.

The Local Development Program (LDP) aims to improve the quality of life in Belluno's rural areas by closing the service, infrastructure, and social opportunity gap between rural and urban zones. It focuses on enhancing liveability through better access to essential services and promoting the development of non-agricultural enterprises that enhance basic services and utilize local resources and craftsmanship.
LDP aims to enhance the territory's appeal by attracting new residents, especially qualified individuals who can contribute to public services and local business innovation. The strategy emphasizes creating job opportunities for youth and women and promoting agricultural activities to preserve the land and prevent agricultural decline.
Overall, LDP's dual focus—improving services for better quality of life and social inclusion and diversifying the economy to attract and retain youth—aims for a sustainable, vibrant future, boosting economic opportunities and social cohesion in the region.
However, current evaluation methods fall short in accurately assessing policy impacts, necessitating new methodologies for more informed decision-making. Furthermore, project selection criteria must be refined to prioritize initiatives offering long-term, place-based benefits for rural areas, ensuring resources genuinely improve community well-being. Additionally, the visibility of the programme needs to be improved, so its reach, range of beneficiaries and impact is maximized.

The Development Plan (DP) of the Municipality of Bač is the primary policy document that outlines local development strategies across three pillars: Infrastructure Development, Sustainable Economic Development (SED), and Social Development. These pillars are designed to address inequalities and disparities to create a just community for all residents.

Most relevant to the topics of RuralProof are the 2nd and 3rd pillars, specifically the following priorities:

- SED Pillar: Creating conditions for increasing employment and wages and dignified work for all residents

- All priorities under the Social Development pillar, including: Increasing the availability and quality of social services in the local community; Establishing a quality education system at the local level based on inclusiveness and the principles of lifelong learning.

While the DP provides a strong framework for growth, it faces limitations due to narrowly defined priorities that do not encompass all municipal development needs. To address these shortcomings, there is a recognized need to improve management structures and improve stakeholder cooperation and communication, particularly in budget planning and monitoring processes. These improvements will ensure more effective implementation of the DP’s objectives and contribute to the sustainable development of the region.

The Regional Spatial & Economic Strategy (RSES) for the Northern and Western Region of Ireland sets a 12-year development framework aligned with the National Planning Framework to stimulate balanced regional growth and development. It responds to the region's reclassification as a 'Transition Region' from a ‘More Developed Region’ by addressing underdeveloped infrastructure and economic disparities.

Integral to the strategy are five, mutually complementary ‘Growth Ambitions’ which determine the policy priorities listed for a region that is: Vibrant, Connected, Natural, Smart, A Great Place to Live, consolidated by a strong settlement strategy focusing on ‘People and Places’. It prioritizes the revitalization of smaller towns and villages, tackling high rates of vacant and derelict buildings to encourage sustainable land use and enhance community vitality.

The challenge of persistently high levels of vacancy and dereliction in the region is a specific issue that requires urgent attention. Two Regional Policy Objectives (RPOs) within the strategy address this problem specifically:

RPO 3.4: To support the regeneration and renewal of small towns and villages in rural areas.
RPO 3.6: Support a coherent and consistent approach in the identification and monitoring of the scale of housing vacancy within the region, identifying vacancy hotspots and informing the setting of actions, objectives and targets in Action Plans and identify how these might best be achieved.

In RuralProof ROT aims to address Objective 5.2 of the Regional programme 2021-2027 Thessalia, which targets the fostering of integrated and inclusive social, economic, and environmental local development, as well as culture, natural heritage, sustainable tourism, and security in non-urban areas, under Priority 5: Integrated Territorial Investments of the ROP.

This objective also builds on Integrated Territorial Investments (ITI) from the previous 2014-2020 programming period, which focused on spatial routes connecting culture and tourism to foster regional development.The current ROP plans to introduce new ITIs tailored to the unique characteristics and needs of specific areas, particularly focusing on enhancing environmental and climate, social and economic resilience.

Priority will be given to mountainous and disadvantaged regions, along with urban and rural areas rich in natural and cultural assets. These efforts are designed to promote job creation and economic growth, aligning with broader goals of a balanced development across Thessaly’s diverse landscapes.