EU Enlargement and Sustainable Rural Development in Central and Eastern Europe

Abstract

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have been intensively involved in rural development in Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. Many of these organisations are not only initiating efforts to protect the environment, but are also leading forces for social and economic development in the rural areas in which they work. This contribution looks at the principles of sustainable rural development and suggests that pre-accession initiatives undertaken by the EU that are relevant to rural areas have largely missed this mark. The study then examines specific examples of the ways that NGOs have taken the lead in developing practical models for addressing the problems and particular needs of rural areas in CEE countries.