CoR calls for a tangible simplification of LEADER/CLLD with reformed CAP and cohesion policy

​At the 2023 LEADER Congress, local and regional leaders highlighted that LEADER should be adequately financially supported and implemented in a simplified way.​​

More than 800 representatives from local action groups across Europe met on 18-19 December at the 2023 LEADER European Congress, hosted by the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), to discuss the role of rural development in shaping Europe's future. The conference, which was held six months before elections to the European Parliament, provided a platform for stakeholders to exchange ideas and experiences, address the challenges faced by rural areas, and advocate for a stronger focus on rural development in EU policy.

The conference was chaired by Thibaut Guignard, head of the European LEADER Association for Rural Development (ELARD) and of LEADER France, and member of the CoR. LEADER is a methodology used for the past 30 years to involve local actors in the creation and implementation of local development strategies, and the conference brought together representatives from local, regional, national and European levels of government, including members of the CoR, the European Economic and Social Committee, and the European Parliament. The CoR was represented by Isilda Gomes, chair of the CoR's Commission for Natural Resources (NAT) and Radim Sršeň, vice-chair of NAT.

The CoR, which has long advocated for the visibility and inclusion of rural areas and their inhabitants in European policies, welcomed the European Commission's adoption of a long-term vision for rural areas. However, local and regional representatives urged the Commission to set more tangible targets and quantitative objectives, backed up by dedicated funding. Members of NAT also emphasised the need for rural areas to be considered in all European policies, arguing also that the digital, green and demographic transitions cannot be achieved without the involvement of rural areas. They noted that the EU's resilience in the face of recent crises is partly attributable to the contributions of rural communities. 

Local development strategies implemented through LEADER play an important role in meeting the needs of rural areas in fields such as employment, social inclusion, rural services, and rural economies' innovation and competitiveness. The work of LEADER networks is part-financed by the EU. The  CoR has called on EU institutions and Member States for access to the LEADER programmes to be simplified. 

In an opinion on the future of cohesion policy after 2027 adopted last month, the CoR calls for the restoration of the future fund of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) supporting agricultural rural development; such a fund should be managed regionally, placing greater emphasis on structural policy measures in sparsely populated areas. The opinion also demands the reinforcement of Community Led Local Development (CLLD) under cohesion policy to finance non-agricultural rural development.

European LEADERS Awards 2023

NAT Chair, Isilda Gomes is a member of the Jury for the European LEADERS Awards 2023, which rewards the most impactful and innovative European projects of the 2014-2020 programme, and highlights concrete achievements funded by the LEADER 2014-2020 programme. Winners were congratulated during the Congress:

• The Public Vote winner is Technologický klub Albrechtice – Tékáčko (from the Czech Republic).
• The first prize for the Jury's choices award is Villages of Portugal.
• The second prize goes to Spain with "The Green Experience" project.
• The third award goes to France with the "Accompagnement à la mobilité en zone rurale" project.​

Quotes

Isilda Gomes (PT/PES), mayor of Portimão and chair of NAT, opened the Congress and said: "The projects rewarded today show that the true European added value can be found in every territory of the EU thanks to LEADER. But if LEADER is expected to do more with less, there is an urgent need to simplify, coordinate and harmonize access to European funding for rural development."

Radim Sršeň (CZ/EPP), mayor of the Municipality of Dolní Studénky, vice-chair of NAT, recently elected as chair of the Rural Pact Coordination Group, said: "LEADER is one of the best programmes invented by the European Union which has proven to be a very successful and effective integrated tool of local development. It has been able to activate and engage all key stakeholders and citizens and through bottom-up approach bring Europe to every living room. However, it is now crucial to spread this approach from just agricultural policy to all other policies! Just multifund, multisectoral and multipolicy LEADER/CLLD approach with sufficient resources can help to the transformation of rural areas to solve huge challenges they are facing, especially the green, digital and demographic ones."

Thibaut Guignard (FR/EPP), mayor of Plœuc-l'Hermitage, chair of LEADER France and chair of ELARD, said: "LEADER has been one of the successes of the European Union for 30 years with a method, local development by local actors (CLLD) and tangible and recognised results. However, we cannot meet all the challenges of rural areas with only 5% of the EAFRD. We therefore need adequate financial resources. This could involve an increase in the share of the EAFRD dedicated to LEADER or through a simplified multi-fund."

Background

• LEADER is local development method used for 30 years to involve local actors in the creation and implementation of strategies, decision-making and resource allocation for the development of their rural areas. It is implemented by around 2,800 local action groups (LAGs), covering 61% of the rural population in EU. The EU provides financial support to LEADER LAGs through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). This funding is used to support a wide range of activities, including training and capacity building for local actors; investments in infrastructure and businesses; and community-led initiatives.
• The European LEADER Association for Rural Development (ELARD) is a non-profit organisation which brings together 28 national LEADER networks and represents 2,800 LAGs.
• Community-Led Local Development (CLLD) is a bottom-up approach to local development that brings local communities together to decide how they want to improve their area and to tackle their own challenges, by setting up partnerships of civil society, businesses and public bodies, called Local Action Groups (LAGs). 
• The CoR was among the first institutions to call for a rural agenda back in 2016 when, together with the European Economic and Social Committee, the CoR organised the conference "Cork+20: leaving rural areas behind is no longer an option!"
• The European Commission adopted a long-term vision for rural areas in 2022. The Council approved its conclusions last month.
• The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on 6 December announced a Strategic Dialogue on the future of the CAP, which will be launched in January and will bring together a group of stakeholders from the agri-sector. This dialogue aims to discuss, among others, challenges faced by farmers and rural communities, technological innovation, and the competitiveness of the EU's food system. 
• The NAT commission is working on a reflection on the future of the CAP post 2027, with chair Isilda Gomes as rapporteur, and Piotr Calbelcki (PL/EPP) as co-rapporteur.
• Survey on the regional dimension of the Common Agricultural Policy National Strategic Plans, conducted by the Regional Hubs Network of the CoR.
• Press release on the adoption of the opinion on "The future of cohesion policy post 2027".