Improvement of Policy Instruments and Action Plans within the frame of Coop4RURALGov
On the 31st of August 2026, an online meeting was organised between the partners of the project Coop4RURALGov “Rural Proofing. Cooperation for better sparsely populated rural, coastal and mountain focused governance”.
During the event, each partner organisation presented the actions that were taken towards achieving their Policy improvements or implementing their Action plans.
The only partner country that managed to achieve a policy improvement was Estonia. This improvement is represented through the newly-developed “Development Plan for the Agriculture and Fisheries Sector until 2030”.
The rest of the participating countries have implemented specific actions based on their regional context, which are a part of their project Action plans.
In the case of Bulgaria, the Action plan entailed the development and adoption of the “Guide to Rural Proofing by Municipality of Bratsigovo”. The document aims to assist municipal administrations in incorporating the perspective of rural areas into planning and decision-making processes by providing clear guidelines for identifying and assessing potential impacts, and for taking appropriate action when necessary.
The Guide will be the first of its kind in Bulgaria and it was inspired by the Irish “Guide for Rural Proofing for Policy Makers”. The Bulgarian document not only follows a tested methodology and integration process, but is also adapted to the local context of Bratsigovo. The implementation of the Rural Proofing process is particularly important for the Municipality of Bratsigovo, as local policies and decisions must take into account the specific conditions, needs, and opportunities of rural areas.
The approach also provides administrative staff with practical tools, resources and templates for assessing the impact of Rural Proofing.
Following its adoption, the document will undergo routine monitoring and revisions to align with regional requirements.
