Quality of Life in Rural Europe 2 June 2006

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Quality of Lifein Rural Europe 2 June 2006

• Henrik Litske
• Research Manager
• European Foundation for the Improvement of
• Living and Working Conditions

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Survey methodology

• Representative household survey
• Interviews in Spring 2003
• Coverage EU countries including 10 new Member
  States 3 candidate countries (Bulgaria, Romania,
  Turkey)
• Sample size 600 1000 people
• Response rate 58

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Analytical reports 2006 Monitoring

• Quality of work and life
• Urban/rural differences (Professor Mark
  Shucksmith, University of Newcastle, UK)
• Participation in civil society
• Time use over the life course

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Where people live
RURAL
URBAN
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The people who live in rural Europe

• In comparison with urban residents they are
• Older, retired
• Less likely to have a university education
• More likely to be married/living with partner
• Likely to have more children

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Poverty Indicator Cannot afford to have
friends/ family for a drink or meal at least
once a month
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Did not use internet over the past month
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Social Capital Indicator Served on a committee
or did voluntary work
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Shucksmith / Analytical report

• Country clusters
• EU 12 High income
• EU 7 Intermediate income
• EU 6 Low income
• CC 3
• The poorer the country, the bigger the
  differences
• between rural and urban areas
• More spending on broad rural development,
  targeted at poorer rural areas of the EU

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• Promoting job creation through social capital
• in rural areas in Europe

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Working definition

• Social capital is understood as interaction of
• individuals within formal networks
• Social trust
• Communication
• Participation
• Cultural dimension

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Belonging to networks

• Increases Individual knowledge
• Employability
• Creativity
• Innovation
• Locally Stimulates entrepreneurship, economic
• growth, employment and social cohesion

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Objectives of project

• To document the evidence that the level of social
  capital affects economic development and job
  creation across rural areas and that increasing
  social capital is associated with job creation
• To identify examples of how local and regional
  authorities, social partner initiatives and NGOs
  in rural communities have developed services,
  networks or facilities to create social capital
  and job creation, paying particular attention to
  the new Member States
• To develop research-based recommendations for
  policy-making at local, national, and in
  particular, EU level.
• Minimum of three EU15 Member States, three new
  Member States, plus Bulgaria and Romania

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Next steps 2006-2007

• Contract in June 2006
• First draft report should be available by 16
  November 2006
• Final report should be available by 26 March 2007
• Preparation of a high-profile policy conference,
  possibly with LEADER Observatory, in September
  2007