The reasons of the implementation of the concept of smart villages in the European Union

Barbara Panciszko

doi:10.14746/pp.2021.26.4.2

Abstract

The aim of this article is to identify the main challenges facing the rural areas in the European Union (EU) and to investigate whether implementation of the concept of smart villages makes it possible to face these challenges. These challenges are: depopulation, aging of the society, climate change, growing demand for food, environmental degradation, peripheralization or low income of rural populations, pandemic COVID-19. The first part describes the situation in rural areas, using statistical data from the reports of the European Commission and Eurostat. Then the roots of the concept of smart villages in the European Union were presented. Its six components have been identified: smart society, smart economy, smart agriculture, smart management, smart environment and smart associability. In the last part, it was checked whether the implementation of the concept of smart villages responds to the main challenges faced by rural areas.

Highlights

European Community and European Union has implemented rural development policy since 1980s
Results using ICT increasing level of education creating social innovation reduction of poverty and social exclusion protecting rural tradition and culture increase the level of income in the countryside, more better job places, creating new workplaces outside agriculture, using new technologies friendly for environment creating innovation zero emission-economy reduction of pollution protection of biodiversity implementation of the principle of sustainable development new technologies in agriculture increasing the meaning of ICT in the process of production and management of farm using environmental friendly technology reduction of pollution of agricultural production
The analysis shows, that indicated challenges facing rural areas in the European Union can be meet, if the concept of smart villages will be implemented

Summary

Introduction

European Community and European Union has implemented rural development policy since 1980s (first as an element of structural policy and later as an separate policy – rural development policy). Dynamic changes taking place in rural areas in the European Union and in global economy make the countryside new challenges. The aim of this article is to identify the main challenges facing the rural areas in the European Union (EU) and to investigate whether implementation of the concept of smart village makes it possible to face these challenges. The research hypothesis is as follows: the concept of smart villages addresses the main challenges facing rural areas in the EU. The answers for these questions: What are the main challenges facing rural areas in the EU? The research goal required the use of qualitative research method, desk research was used

Objectives

Results

Conclusion