The aims of this annual review are twofold. Firstly, it provides an overview of actual and proposed changes to rural planning legislation across the main sectors, ie agriculture, forestry, conservation, recreation, settlement planning, transport planning and other issues like mineral extraction and employment. Secondly, it presents long-term reviews of the impact of planning policies, the evolution of planning policies and appraisal of planning techniques in any single one or a combination of the sectors outlined above, either at an international, national or local level.