Paper Title
Structural Changes in Rural Areas of the European Union Stimulated by Financial Support from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development – Case Study of the Lubuskie Region

Abstract
The article addresses the issue of sustainable development of rural areas stimulated by financial instruments of the European Union support. The authors presented selected structural changes in rural areas related to the directions of support under the Rural Program based on funds from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development in 2014-2020 with regard to the Lubuskie region. The presentation of practical examples of absorption of EU funds in rural areas of the analysed region was preceded by a theoretical review concerning: the origin of the EU Common Agricultural Policy, determinants of intervention in rural areas and in the agricultural production sector as well as methodological conditions for delimitation of rural areas. Keywords - Sustainable Development of Rural Areas, Financial Instruments for Supporting the Agricultural Sector, Common Agricultural Policy, the Lubuskie Region, Structural Changes in the Countryside