The post-2027 EU budget (MFF 2028-2034) and rural-urban territories

The proposed National and Regional Partnership Plans (NRPP) Regulation and the new Performance Framework introduce an architecture and governance that will significantly affect how rural-urban interactions operate after 2027. RURBANIVE has put forward four strategic policy options: (1) integrating the EU's territorial classifications into one coherent framework; (2) embedding the 'rurban' approach in the Rural Action Plan and the Agenda for Cities; (3) a one-stop-shop for urban-rural policies with a unified 8% local development earmark and a dedicated window for functional areas in the European Competitiveness Fund; and (4) performance and evidence-based policymaking through Territorial Impact Assessments and Rural Proofing.

Questions for the community:

• What would the NRPP architecture mean for your territory and your co-creation lab?

• Which of the four strategic options matters most locally, and why?

Sources: RURBANIVE submission to the EC consultation on the MFF 2028-2034 (October 2025); RURBANIVE Policy Brief #1 'Prospects for Rural-Urban policies in the post 2027 policy framework' (Zenodo: 10.5281/zenodo.15736387).