Making the Right to Stay work for local communities, AEIDL Policy Brief

This discussion paper contributes to the debate on the European Union’s forthcoming Right to Stay strategy, expected at the end of 2026. It frames the Right to Stay as a policy and delivery challenge linked to territorial cohesion, local development and the capacity of public policies to make staying a viable, attractive and sustainable option. Drawing on AEIDL’s work on place-based policy, community-led local development and territorial cohesion, as well as evidence from Horizon Europe projects including SMART ERA, BEATLES, FUTURAL, GRASS CEILING and RURBANIVE, the paper examines the conditions that shape people’s ability to remain in the places they call home. The analysis highlights the importance of access to essential services, labour markets, mobility, housing, demographic dynamics, governance capacity and local social capital. It also underlines the role of small and medium-sized towns, rural areas and functional territories as everyday anchors for services, employment and territorial resilience. The paper identifies key delivery conditions for making the Right to Stay operational, including stronger policy coherence, simplified implementation, territorial impact assessment, functional geographies, improved data systems and place-based governance. It is intended as a technical synthesis to inform future EU reflection on the Right to Stay and its implementation through EU policies, National and Regional Partnership Plans and territorial development frameworks.