The Swedish Rural Network and The European Rural Development Network, ERDN Presentation at the Leader Networking Event LEADER: A Collective Perspective 17th and 18th September 2008 SNH Battleby, Perth by Hans-Olof Stålgren

Short presentation Hans-Olof Stålgren Manager for the Swedish Leader+ Network Was working for the Leader+ Contact Point Starting to work for the new Rural Network Background as agronomist Working in Stockholm Living in Örebro

From Leader+ to the new RDP From 12 to 65 Leader areas From 20% to 85% of rural population From just a few municipalities to all Swedish municipalities except four

Different kinds of networks Formal or informal Just for Leader or for the whole Rural Development Program Within Managing Authority or outsourced Partially or totally outsourced

A formal network for all national actors Swedish Rural Network All actors for rural development, at national level, can be members Network Unit at the Managing Authority A special budget line for member activities A Steering Committee of 11 members

Axis 1 Axis 2 Axis 3 The Rural Development Program The Network action plan Improve the implementation Strengthen its potential for rural development Exchange of information, excperience and methods Broad dialogue between local, regional, national and inter- national level Exchanges of experience between rural development policy, regional development policy and environ- mental policy The purpose of the Swedish Rural Network Axis 4 Leader

Steering group Today 100 national actors involved Leader sub- network Thematic working groups Cooperation council with researchers Almost 65 LAGs to be started 25 of them are already operational Network Unit Gender equality Integration Community planning and local develop.

Some of 100 Members of the SE Rural Network The Breeding Association for Race Horses The National Federation of County Halls Centre for Biodiversity Farmers Union, LRF The Swedish Board of Housing Ecological Farmers National Association for Nature Conservation The Swedish Board of Fishery The National Association All Sweden Shall Live The Swedish Federation of Rural Economy and Agricultural Societies, HUSH The Leader LAG:s The Swedish University of Agriculture The County Administrations Many more

Example of ongoing animation activities Target groups for animation Youth focus in Leader (U-land) Community halls as a hub for local development (National Federation of Community Halls) Local groups in Rural Economy and Agricultural Societies (HUSH) Farmers Union local groups (LRF) Regional councils of village development groups (All Sweden Shall Live) Local Nature Conservation Associations (Swedish Assocation for Nature Conservation) Secondary upper schools for agriculture (HUSH) Business associations Cooperative enterprises (Coompanion) Coordinating local services (FLF)

Starts with simple information –Newsletter –Program information –Network activities) Building more interactive tools –Project database –Partner search –Webb tools to support the LAGs

Network tools to support the Leader process Sub Network meetings Mentor program Animation cheques to inspire members to participate in Leader The Leader Of The Year – Good practice Training courses Cheques for international exchange Activities to promote transnational cooperation

European Network of Rural Development, ENRD One permanent Coordination Committee –A Leader sub-committee –Thematical working groups Evaluation committee Contact Point, a “Service office” in Brussels

Evaluation committee Reports to CC Contact Point Permanent staff Technical Assistance (TA) Coordinating Committee, CC EU Commission DG AGRI External experts Thematical working groups Reports, surveys, Good examples Leader Sub Committee Contributes to CC Transnational coop.

Contact Point has started A call for tender in January The decission was taken June 19:th The Kantor Group Consortium won (They also had the Leader+ Contact Point) The Brussel office started last week

Kantor Group Consortium Kantor Qwentes, Greek consulting company, GR Swedish Federation of Rural Economy and Agricultural Societies, SE (HUSH) IEEP, Institute of European Environmental Policy, UK CIHEAM, Agricultural Institute of Montpellier, FR AESA, Agriconsulting, Consultancy Company, IT Hungarian University and rural development institute, HU

Organisation of Contact Point

Team leadar Istvan Fehrer, HU Unit for Analysis Support for ENRD structures Thematical experts Service unit Webb, Newsletters, Events Cooperation unit Transnational projects, Nationella nätverk, Förvaltningsmyndigheter EU-expert Elena Saraceno, UK, IT Secretariat Sophie Peppes, GR Sophia Spiliotopoulou, GR Vinciane Gandibleux, B

Transnational Cooperation Big emphasis on transnational cooperation –Coaching –Partner search –Databases –”Intervention” –Conferences