Yasnolob, I. O.Gorb, O. O.Dedukhno, A. V.Kaliuzhna, Y. P.Яснолоб, Ілона ОлександрівнаГорб, Олег ОлександровичДедухно, Алла ВолодимирівнаКалюжна, Юлія Петрівна2018-03-292018-03-292017-09Gorb, O., Yasnolob, I., Dedukhno A., Kaliuzhna, Yu. The formation of the management system of ecological, social, and economic development of rural territories using the experience in European Union Journal of Environmental Management and Tourism, [S.l.], v. 8, n. 3, p. 516-528, sep. 2017. ISSN 2068-7729. doi: https://doi.org/10.14505//jemt.v8.3(19).03. Режим доступу: http://journals.aserspublishing.eu/jemt/article/view/13742068-7729https://dspace.pdau.edu.ua/handle/123456789/172The existing scientific approaches (territorial, production, social, and complex) as to defining the essence of the notion “rural territories” have been considered in the article. The author’s understanding of this notion has been expressed. The investigation of the territorial approach and the analysis of some regulatory-legal documents of Ukraine which are currently in force has shown that all the rural territories of Ukraine are subdivided into villages and townships, while in accordance with the Constitution of Ukraine, the system of administrative-territorial organization of the country comprises: regions, districts, cities, towns, districts in cities, towns, settlements, and villages. Thus, on the whole, the term “settlement” is not interpreted in the legislative documents of Ukraine, and it is used for various populated areas in different regions. It has also been mentioned, that the administrative-territorial structure of Ukraine is rather chaotic.en-USthe rural territory; territorial approach; social approach; production approach; complex.Article