The European Rural Development Network (ERDN) integrates various European research institutions, which are involved in analysing the transformation process of rural areas particularly in Central-Eastern Europe. The main objectives are to advance international knowledge transfer and scientific cooperation in rural development and agriculture, as well as to share and promote scientific experiences and achievements in order to support policy makers and stakeholders. The annual conferences, organised since 2002, are the basis for achieving these objectives.

Efforts in previous Common Agricultural Policy periods have enabled agricultural development but also promoted integrating other sectors of the rural economy and emphasised social and environmental concerns in rural development programmes. In the current period of the rural development policy one of the six EU priorities is dedicated to fostering knowledge transfer and innovation in a very broad sense.