ABSTRACT
Introduction Modern Europe has rural roots. Even nowadays, 80 per cent of Europe consists of rural areas in which just 25 per cent of the population lives. These areas are quite diverse not only geographically and in terms of landscape, but also in terms of the different challenges they face. These challenges range from the restructuring of the agricultural sector, remoteness, poor service provision and depopulation to population influx and pressure on the natural environment, particularly in the rural areas close to urban centres.
