Contributions of Integrated Rural Development measures to equivalent living conditions in rural areas The report focuses on Integrated Rural Development (IRD) measures under the Joint Task of Im-proving Agricultural Structures and Coastal Protection (Gemeinschaftsaufgabe zur Verbesserung der Agrarstruktur und des Küstenschutzes (GAK)), which are grouped together in Support Area 1 of the GAK. Recently, this support area has gained in importance both in terms of content and budget. In the debate on equivalent living conditions, contributions by the GAK are expected, above all through Integrated Rural Development measures. First the concept of living conditions is operationalised. The different measures of Integrated Rural Development are described, including their implementation and design in the Bundesländer. Then the contribution to services of general interest and the overall quality of life are described in qualitative terms. The Integrated Rural De-velopment measures address many aspects of services of general interest. They contribute to the improvement of living conditions by intensifying social relationships and personal activities as ma-jor dimensions of quality of life. Further empirical work is required for a comprehensive analysis of the effects of Integrated Rural Development measures on equivalent living conditions.
