1. European LEADER Association for Rural Development
ELARD
European LEADER Association for Rural Development
President Kristiina Tammets

2. The ELARD network
International non-profit organization founded in 1999
Founded by 5 European national informal LEADER networks:
French LEADER Network - LEADER France
Greek LEADER Network - Eλληνικό Δίκτυο LEADER
Irish LEADER Network - Comhar LEADER na hEireann
Italian LEADER Network - AssoLEADER
Spanish LEADER Network – REDR
CZECH REPUBLIC, CROATIA, DENMARK, ESTONIA, FINLAND, FRANCE, GREECE, HUNGARY, IRELAND, ITALY, LATVIA, LITHUANIA, MACEDONIA (FYROM) POLAND, PORTUGAL, UNITED KINGDOM, SERBIA, SLOVAKIA, SLOVENIA, SPAIN, SWEDEN, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA.
Member networks in 22 countries representing more than 1900 LAGs

3. Aims of ELARD
campaigns to spread the philosophy, principles and reach of the LEADER method grounded in the eight specific features
…in order to achieve SUSTAINABLE RURAL DEVELOPMENT
represents the interests and needs of local action groups in front of other international, European, and national institutions to liaise with other stakeholders and institutions
One of the most important aims of ELARD is to:
"campaign to spread the philosophy, principles and reach of the LEADER method grounded in the eight specific features in order to achieve sustainable rural development across Europe".
The association aims also to:
"represent the interests and needs of its members in front of other international, European, and national institutions to liaise with other stakeholders and institutions working towards an integrated rural development and to influence EU policies in favour of rural development".
…in order to INFLUENCE EU and national POLICIES in favour of INTEGRATED rural development

4. Presence of ELARD in committees/groups
on EU level
EUROPEAN NETWORK FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT (ENRD)
Rural Networks Assembly,
Rural Networks Steering Group,
Leader/CLLD sub-group,
EIP-AGRI
Civil Dialogue Group for Rural Development (DG AGRI),
Structured Dialogue Group for the ESI Funds (DG REGIO)
Steering Group, Coordination Group
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
EUROPEAN RURAL PARLIAMENT (ERP)
EUROPEAN COUNTRYSIDE MOVEMENT (ECM)

5. Current key policy documents
ELARD LEADER/CLLD DECLARATION
to be developed for and at the ELARD conference in Estonia in November 2016
EUROPEAN RURAL MANIFESTO
developed at the European Rural Parliament gathering in Schärding/Austria,
November 2015
RURAL AGENDA POST 2020
an iniciative of the European Countryside Movement - draft being developed
CORK DECLARATION 2.0
European Commission compiled declaration for broader CAP

6. Involvement of members,
upcoming events
MEMBERS QUESTIONNAIRE AND ANALYSIS
June 2016, 2017
ELARD SEMINAR „CLLD – HOW DOES IT REALLY WORK?“ AT EUROPEAN WEEK OF REGIONS AND CITIES
12 October 2016 in Brussels
LEADER/CLLD CONFERENCE
22-23 November 2016 in Estonia
LEADER/CLLD WORKSHOP
Spring 2017 in Brussels
EUROPEAN RURAL PARLIAMENT ACTIVITIES
LEADER/CLLD horizontal theme

7. LEADER evolution
Source: DG AGRI Provisional budget data

8. 2014-2020 Indicative allocation of budget for LEADER
Breakdown by sub-measure

9. A quick look at Measure 19 (LEADER/CLLD) RDPs...
Implemented in 109 RDPs
Expected total number of LAGs: 2513
Total public funding allocated: € 9.7 billion
Planned number of jobs created:
Population covered by LAGs: 161 million

10. A quick look at Measure 19 (LEADER/CLLD)
The top-5 themes that LEADER is expected to contribute to are:
1. Employment, local economy and diversification;
2. Resource efficiency, renewable energy and climate;
3. Social inclusion and poverty reduction;
4. Cultural heritage and landscape;
5. Agriculture, local food and production systems.

11. Expected number of selected LAGs and average budget (total public)
Source: DG AGRI SFC Database

12. Comparing CLLD in ESI Funds
Total CLLD budget
(EU contribution)
No. of MS
concerned
Expected no. of
LAGs
EMFF
€ 500 M 20
300
EAFRD
€ M 28
2500
ERDF
€ M 16
Info not
available o
ESF 13
€ 700 M
Source: Information received from DGs, December 2015

13. MS planning to support multi-funded strategies
Multifunding: MS
YES:
19 MSs
ALLOWED
AT, BG, CZ, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GR, HU IT, LT, LV, PL, PT, SE, SI, SK and UK
NOT ALLOWED
BE, CY, EE, HR, IE, LU, MT NL and RO
NO:
9 MSs
Source: ENRD CP - Screening of 28 approved Partnership Agreements and sample of 26
RDPs

14. ESI Funds used to support LEADER/CLLD
Category MS 4
Multi-fund
Mono-fund
EAFRD, ERDF, ESF & EMFF
BG, DE, ES, FR, GR, IT, PL, PT, SE, UK 10
EAFRD, ERDF
& ESF
CZ, HU
EAFRD, ERDF
& EMFF SI
EAFRD, EMFF
& ESF LT 10
EAFRD &
EMFF
CY, DK, FI, LV
EE, HR, IE, RO 4
EAFRD & ERDF
AT, SK
4 Funds
3 Funds
2 Funds
1 Fund
Only EAFRD
BE, LU, NL, MT
Source: ENRD CP - Screening of 28 approved Partnership Agreements and 26 sample RDPs

15. Policy work - key issues 1
Territorial cohesion in different funds, programs and institutions in rural development. Holistic development involves rural-urban linkages, lager scale of involvement of people and institutions (bottom-up clusters);
Quality of the programs and the conditions having continuity considered being very important;
To assure that there are clear and visible achievements of implementing the programs. Evaluation is key issue for this period;
The role of monitoring committees is crucial to guarantee the needed amendments in RDPs to assure necessary flexibility and implementation accordance with real needs;
These are the most crucial issues that have been mentioned throughout different meetings, events

16. Policy work - key issues 2
Innovation is strong focus for this programming period. We need balanced innovative growth in the rural areas;
Possibilities for development must be equal for rural and urban areas. Urban-rural mixture, where rural areas use urban as an engine or catalyser as a good way for a growth. It is important for rural areas to ensure they make good use of the proximity of the large urban market;
Rural development is regional development that includes a more holistic approach and a stronger regional co-operation between national partners (both rural and urban) and LAGs in the same region;

17. Policy work - key issues 3
To listen to the voice from local communities regarding public services (including broadband) is extremely important as well as giving higher priority to women’s role in rural development;
To promote transnational co-operation sharing the knowledge and practice to LAGs, national networks and MAs;
Simplification (SCO) and E-governance, E-platforms for LAGs. Digital revolution gives new attributes and opportunities to rural areas;
Social cohesion and reduction of poverty are getting more important for rural areas as well as migration issues;
To make sure that there is no long gap between programming periods.

18. ELARD MEMBERS’ SURVEY

19. RDP budget

20. LEADER budget

21. LEADER budget %

22. LEADER budget %

23. Number of LAGs

24. LEADER budget all funds

25. Share of budget of 4 funds

26. Overview of multifund

27. General satisfaction with LEADER/CLLD

28. Improvement related to previous period

29. Needs of LAGs
1. Improving CLLD and multi-fund approach implementation:
1.1. Cohesion of different funds. This is to create real synergy between different funds and avoid the multi-funded trap, where previously financed activities from EAFRD are not financed anymore from EAFRD and also not included in the other funds (ESF, ERDF);
1.2. Simplification of procedures. Additionally to SCO methods there is a need to simplify the procedures (LAGs and authorities). There has been a lack of attention to simplifying procedures but these are very time consuming;
1.3. Clarification and wider promotion of SCO methods. Experience exchange between different programmes that already has knowledge and practice of SCO methods’ implementation. Clearer descriptions of SCO mechanisms;

30. Needs of LAGs
1. Improving CLLD and multi-fund approach implementation:
1.4. Increasing the budget of CLLD for viable and further developed CLLD;
1.5. Capacity building of authorities and LAGs to implement CLLD;
1.6. Support services’ (legal advisory, trainings, etc) quality and further development for LAGs;
1.7. Mentoring programs for EU pre-accession countries to provide support to establish LAGs and start LEADER/CLLD implementation.

31. Needs of LAGs
2. Strengthening national policies and rising co-operation capability between authorities:
2.1. Effective and transparent coordination between different authorities and ministries at national level;
2.2. Definition of roles of different LEADER bodies and authorities;
2.3. Clear instruments and guidelines to achieve cohesion of rural and urban areas;
2.4. Simplification and harmonization of national regulations and rules;
2.5. National targets for evaluation of LEADER/CLLD. Defining also impact and result indicators at national level;
2.6. Ensuring the continuity between program periods and smooth implementation in order to guarantee the sustainable functioning of LAGs.

32. Needs of LAGs – strategies implementation
3. Innovative and flexible implementation of local development strategies (LDS):
3.1. Giving importance and promotion of LAGs’ animation activities. Defining indicators to measure the impact of animation;
3.2. Creation of attractive and viable jobs;
3.3. Innovation of strategies’ implementation and regional development processes (Smart strategies, new technologies, involvement methods, new forms of management and co- operation, regional clusters, etc);
3.4. Clear and simple evaluation and monitoring models of LDS, the results of which are also available for communities. Evaluation is a part of a community’s learning process;

33. Needs of LAGs – strategies implementation
3. Innovative and flexible implementation of local development strategies (LDS):
3.5. Increasing LAGs’ independence and decision making rights (incl. TNC projects);
3.6. Support systems to simplify LEADER/CLLD implementation processes. F.g. flexible IT platforms for projects treatment, selection and evaluation;
3.7. To achieve the balance between administrative procedures and development/animation activities. Time resources have been spent in reasonable proportion – 70% on development activities and 30% on administrative activities.

34. Needs of LAGs 4. Transnational and inter-territorial co-operation
4.1. Simplification and harmonization of national regulations, drawing up guidelines;
4.2. Harmonization of regulations and rules of co-operation measure in Europe;
4.3. Drawing up co-operation regulations and guidelines at national level for co-operation with EU pre-accession and other third countries;
4.4. Guaranteeing the sustainability and effectiveness of co- operation;
4.5. Enable LAGs to implement umbrella projects. Simplification of models of umbrella projects and their implementation;
4.6. Promotion and simplification of inter-territorial co-operation, regional co-operation clusters, co-operation across sectors.
Needs of LAGs
MORE THAN 20 RDPS AND ALL RULES ARE DIFFERENT

35. Needs of LAGs
5. Renewal of the 25-year-old LEADER method for period
5.1. Keeping LEADER/CLLD in accordance and adaptive with changing living and working environment in rural areas (social cohesion, migration, regional clusters, green economy, climate change, smart solutions, technology, etc);
5.2. Revolution of new technologies and IT creates new opportunities, which should be integrated into the LEADER/CLLD methodology;
5.3. Territorial cohesion creates synergy and helps use new resources and opportunities.

36. To sum it up
1. Innovative and flexible LDS – all new issues and possibilities to create synergy, animation activities of LAGs, monitoring and evaluation, transnational cooperation;
2. Good dialogue and strong cooperation between all LEADER actors, clear understanding of roles;
3. Capacity building of MAs, PAs and LAGs, creating common understanding;
4. Simplification - SCO and procedures both;
To keep balance with everything new what is coming in and LEADER roots – 7 key principles

39. ELARD contact ELARD, aisbl Atrium Science Rue de la Science 14B
Brussels 1040
BELGIUM

40. Thank You!
Lõpuslaid
Kristiina Tammets