Poverty and Social Exclusion in Rural Areas. Final Study Report

This study aims at analysing the main and specific features of poverty and social exclusion in rural areas; on the policy side, it analyses those policies, implemented by local, national or EU authorities, that have an impact on rural poverty. After identifying rural areas in the EU and the European Economic Area (EEA),the study concentrates on fifteen countries for the description of the main features of poverty in rural areas. The fifteen countries are selected in order to present a balanced sample of different geographical regions (Northern, Southern, Western and Eastern Europe) and social models. one EEA country – Norway.