10.09.26

Femi Atoyebi

Invitation to European Conference: Europe's Rural Mobility Future – Setting Standards, 27-29 Oct

The European Rural Mobility Network is pleased to share an early announcement about three days of discussion and exchange on the future of rural mobility in Europe, taking place in Kilkenny, Ireland, on 27–29 October 2026. We hope to see you there!

The programme will begin on Tuesday, 27 October 2026, with a dedicated half-day ERMN side event, taking place from 14:00 to 17:30. The event will feature a short welcoming plenary followed by interactive parallel workshops, giving participants the opportunity to explore practical experiences and exchange on different themes related to rural mobility. Further details on these activities will be shared soon!

The main event is held on Wednesday, 28 October 2026, the programme will continue with the European Conference Europe’s Rural Mobility Future: Setting Standards”, promoted by MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú (Renew Europe) in association with Kilkenny LEADER Partnership (KLP) and the European Rural Mobility Network (ERMN).

This year’s core theme is “Setting Service Standards for Rural Mobility to achieve greater Equity and Cohesion and to contribute to Europe’s Climate goals”.

The conference will focus on policy and standards for rural mobility, which significantly impact on achievement of European goals on environment, society and rural development, while also impacting at local level in many thousands of rural communities throughout Europe. It will explore the growing concept of “service standards” for mobility in rural areas.

This pan-European Conference brings together ministries, local governments, mobility agencies, rural development stakeholders and research institutes, among others. Through highly interactive sessions, this one-day event will examine current challenges, solutions and ways forward.

Throughout the Conference, there will be focus on diversity of people and places – their characteristics and their needs, which change over their lifecycles – with special attention to women and young people. The Conference will produce a synthesis of key messages for policy-makers to consider.

About the ERMN

The European Rural Mobility Network is the first pan-European initiative dedicated to improving rural mobility. Established as an ASBL (Association Sans But Lucratif – no profit Association) under Belgian law on July 28th 2025, the ERMN Network aims to bring rural municipalities and other interested parties together to share experiencelearn from each other, and explore ways to enhance accessibility of rural territories. The ERMN aims to create a unified and shared voice for the sector, paving the way for a new and prosperous era for rural mobility in Europe.

On the morning of Thursday, 29 October, an interesting  programme of site visits will be arranged — details to be announced.

Of course, if you would like to stay a bit longer in Kilkenny, we are  happy to provide you with suggestions on activities and places to visit!

Event Details

Date: 27-29 October 2026
Format: in-person event

Location: Kilkenny, Ireland

Participation: Free of charge

If  you would like to take part at the in person event Save the Date in your calendar and please express your interest with just a click.

All selected participants will receive a confirmation email with the registration form, so please do not make any travel and accommodation arrangements until your participation has been confirmed.

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