This is done by involving rural developers with fellow professionals who have the same activity in other member states of the European Union for the purpose of sharing what is being learned supporting bottom-up approaches for rural and community development creating new national and regional development projects. Those who participate in the ERU include rural development practitioners, scholars and policy makers from throughout Europe. The main event of the ERU is a plenary session held every other year in a rural location, drawing from three to five hundred delegates from member states as well as representatives from Central and Eastern Europe. Prior to the plenary session, delegates visit a country to learn first hand about the issues facing rural areas and the projects which are intended to address those issues.
Delegates then make a report at the plenary session to share what they found.
For the first time, ERU delegates will be visiting a site outside of Europe. For five days in June, they will travel to Missouri.