Synthesis of policy audits in pilot regions / D6.2

*This deliverable is pending approval from thw European Commission and should be considered a draft

This report provides the findings from the SMART ERA analysis of policy framework supporting community-led rural innovation (also referred to as ‘smart rural areas/communities’) at the European level and within the project’s case study countries (Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, Italy, Slovenia, Spain).

This report investigates and assesses the plethora of policy frameworks enabling or hindering community-led innovations in these rural areas. The relations among actors and their resistance or support to the community transition are also analysed. 

Chapters 1 and 2 open this document by setting the basis and underlying hypothesis accompanying this study, as well as outlining the methodology and materials that have been used to develop it. 

Chapter 3 focuses on the EU-level concepts and policies linked to community-led innovation. 

Chapter 4 provides more in-depth analysis from the SMART ERA Pilot regions, both at the national level and territorial level (regional or sub-regional according to the Pilots). 

Chapter 5 compares the findings from the project’s Pilot countries, as well as the EU-level findings. On one hand, these outputs allow to scope out from the specificity of each case to look at the broader picture. On the other hand, this chapter compares the EU-level policy framework and its practical execution, hence highlighting strengths, gaps and inconsistencies. 

Chapter 6 is the conclusive fragment of this report. It presents the conclusions and avenues for future research.