PLACED-BASED POLICIES FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT - BASQUE COUNTRY, SPAIN (CASE STUDY)

The following case study on the Basque Country is organised in four parts:

The context is presented in part one with developments on regionalisation and autonomy in Spain, a description of the specific governance features prevailing in the Basque Country and a profile of the rural areas within it. Part two is constituted by an analysis of the innovative rural development policies adopted by the Basque authorities, with a presentation of the successive strategic rural plans, the Social Pact and the Law on Rural Development. Part three analyses policy implementation through the Rural Development Programmes (PDRs), with the vision from the local level as well as that of the region. Part four contains an overall evaluation of rural development policies in the Basque Country and recommendations to improve their efficiency.