The Plan for Integrated Development of Byala Slatina (PIDMBS) sets medium-term goals for sustainable development but lacks a direct green communities approach. While it outlines key strategic objectives, its impact on fostering local engagement in sustainability remains limited. The policy relevance of the plan is as follows:
(i) SOII (Specific Objective – Territorial Development): Supports infrastructure, environmental protection, and cultural heritage but lacks explicit community-driven sustainability efforts;
(ii) SOIII (Human Resources & Social Inclusion): Encourages better living standards but does not specify mechanisms for local engagement in green tourism.
The policy lacks structured community participation in green tourism. To strengthen local engagement, it should:
(i) encourage green entrepreneurship and eco-tourism initiatives;
(ii) improve local knowledge and infrastructure for sustainability;
(iii) foster participatory governance in sustainable tourism.
Since the Plan is an open document that can be developed and updated, it presents an opportunity for policy revision. The Rural COOP project can support this process by integrating community-driven green initiatives, enhancing local empowerment and sustainable tourism.

The policy instrument is a sector law that intends to envisage a specific intervention by the provincial administration, namely the promotion of mountain areas characterised by socio-economic marginalities, the valorisation of economic activities, the social development and the safeguarding of the cultural identity of the local populations, as well as the protection of the environment. The interventions provided for by the law pursue the following objectives:
-limit the depopulation of mountain areas,
-guarantee qualitatively and quantitatively adequate services,
-reduce diseconomies that affect existing economic activities,
-search for and promote the balance between economic development and environmental needs,
-keep existing traditions and cultural heritage alive,
-promote traditional economic activities linked to the environment, encouraging the use of local agricultural and forestry products and in particular wood.
The Province complies with the principle of subsidiarity according to which the planning and management of interventions is in charge, as far as possible, to the institutional level closest to local interests.
Green communities are going to play a fundamental role in terms of sharing economic growth objectives within a framework consistent with the European green deal strategies.

Innovation and Skills in Finland 2021–2027 – The EU regional and structural policy programme supports business, energy, climate, innovation, education, and employment policies, as well as activities against exclusion and poverty. The programme has three priority areas to finance ERDF projects. Within the context of Rural COOP, the action focuses on Carbon Neutral Finland (priority area 2) and its priority area 2.1 Promoting energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, promoting the energy transition and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. For this priority, the project values community-driven approaches and integrated management of the hydrogen economy and clean energy value chain, particularly in sparsely populated areas. It encourages collaboration between local communities, businesses, municipalities, and research institutions to develop sustainable solutions that align with circular economy principles. Additionally, the programme supports community-led initiatives that enhance local participation, strengthen green skills, and foster inclusive energy transitions.

The policy instrument for the region of Sörmland is a strategy which implies a joint effort to empower communities and drive progress toward a greener and more digitally connected future. The instrument is specifically designed to address the needs of rural areas as well as reinforcing rural-urban linkages, ensuring no community is left behind to create a more sustainable and interconnected Sörmland. Specifically, the instrument's scope is to encourage partnerships across economic sectors, administrative boundaries, and between public and private entities. The policy instrument prioritizes several key measures and objectives, such as identifying stakeholder needs, strengthening collaborative platforms and providing tailored training.
By sharing valuable insights and learning experiences on implementing green and digital transitions in rural contexts the impact of capacity-building efforts can be amplified, ensuring they reach a broad and diverse system of actors and achieve long-term sustainability. The allocated funds for supporting addressed measures and fostering new project partnerships and collaborations attain up to 4 million euros. By strengthening rural communities, the whole region can thrive, gaining green and digital maturity.

The Masterplan Leventina is a policy instrument based on the federal economic policy (New Regional Policy – NRP) supporting peripheral regions through sectoral measures co-financed by Cantonal and Federal authorities. The Masterplan serves as a coordinated and structured strategy to exploit the area's potential and identify projects that contribute to a shared vision. It's a good example of a SITD plan, promoted by local municipalities and coordinated by the Bellinzona and Valleys Regional Development Agency (ERSBV). The Vision underpinning the Plan, defined on the basis of a participative process involving local stakeholders, is structured according to five main themes: Living, Working, Tourism, Mobility and Digitization, where the Territorial Heritage (culture and environment) represents the underlying canvas on which all themes are developed. At the moment the Plan is in the early stage of the implementation phase, implying an extensive information and interaction with the population and potential project proponents. Sectoral working groups are responsible for implementing the Plan, coordinated by ERSBV, accompanied by the Strategic Group already active during the preparatory phase. Executive projects aim at improving infrastructure and the overall quality of life in the area envisaging the creation of a Green Community, through measures concerning Energy (i.e. renewable sources, Gothard Wind Power Park, Carì solar energy park), Agriculture, Sustainable tourism.

The European Funds for Opolskie 2021-2027 is a regional operational programme for Opolskie Voivodeship (one of 16 in Poland), including ten thematic priorities. RURAL-COOP addresses the priority (10) strengthening the endogenous potentials of Opolskie” and its specific objective 2.1.10.2 (ii) “Fostering integrated and inclusive development social, economic and environmental at the local level, culture, natural heritage, sustainable tourism and safety in other areas than urban” and the its measures are addressing ITDs and rural areas. In accordance with the diagnosed needs of the areas that are covered by ITD strategies, this specific objective supports mainly the community-building role of culture and cultural heritage and tourism, as well as the process of revitalization of non-urban areas, i.e. rural areas. The investment support within these policy measures willl be aligned whereas it is possible with the European Green Deal, Circular Economy and UN Sustainable Development Goals. The support for rural ITDs instruments including support to green communities is also supplemented by appropriate actions within other priorities on clean energy, environmental protection, cohesion and accessibility of communications.  The specific focus is given to sustainable territorially integrated tourism products and sustainable and local value chain, able to valorise local cultural and natural heritage, valuing green community and integrated management.