Is low-density a viable territorial category for enhancing EU cohesion policy implementation?

The European Union's (EU) Cohesion Policy (CP) promotes balanced territorial development between and within countries and calls for mechanisms to enhance the current approaches to territorial, economic and social cohesion. Low-density (LD) areas emerged as a territorial category to define the difference between rural and urban areas. Although the scientific literature discusses various topics and activities in low-density areas, there is hardly any holistic definition. Furthermore, their role in improving CP implementation remains unclear. This paper is an exploratory study and aims to examine the specific characteristics of LD areas through a systematic literature review and see if and how it supports the implementation of CP. The research shows that LD is a holistic category and points beyond low population density. It deserves special attention from the perspective of the EU CP implementation, especially in the Mediterranean region with its specific geographic and socio-cultural features. Our results also show that identifying LD rural areas and addressing their challenges could contribute to a more targeted implementation of CP. Creating adjusted measurement frameworks and tools and from there, spatial identification and mapping are vital for the place-based implementation of EU CP 2021–2027 and fair allocation of EU and state funds.