How post-27 LEADER and CLLD programming could contribute to better implementation of the long-term vision for the EU's rural areas
Opinion factsheet
On this page
- Agriculture, Maritime and Consumer policies
- Rural development
Opinion number:
CDR-2569-2024
Status:
Adopted
Objective
The CoR calls for place-based policies to be bolstered and better targeted by boosting the capacity of the CLLD/LEADER instrument in order to meet the increasing expectations of rural development and territorial cohesion. These programmes have proven to be effective in empowering rural areas, but they now need to be tailored to meet future challenges. It is crucial to simplify access to EU funding and procedures under a coherent and flexible approach to territorial development.
The CoR proposes establishing new implementation tools to bolster the support for CLLD-LEADER. These tools would be based on a lead fund whose management regulation would apply to contributions from the other mobilised funds with a mandatory percentage of funding earmarked for CLLD in each of these funds and on the use of lump-sum payments for small projects. It also proposes encouraging the use of pre-financing and advance schemes for small projects. Furthermore, calls for the introduction of a mechanism to ensure the systematic payment of an advance representing 80% of the grant awarded as soon as the project has been approved.
The CoR calls for greater involvement of women in the decision-making bodies of LEADER projects and in CLLD and encourages all levels of society, from young people to the elderly, to participate in the planning and design of projects, and suggests stepping up communication and education initiatives on CLLD/LEADER in order to enable local actors to harness the full benefits of these programmes.
The CoR proposes establishing new implementation tools to bolster the support for CLLD-LEADER. These tools would be based on a lead fund whose management regulation would apply to contributions from the other mobilised funds with a mandatory percentage of funding earmarked for CLLD in each of these funds and on the use of lump-sum payments for small projects. It also proposes encouraging the use of pre-financing and advance schemes for small projects. Furthermore, calls for the introduction of a mechanism to ensure the systematic payment of an advance representing 80% of the grant awarded as soon as the project has been approved.
The CoR calls for greater involvement of women in the decision-making bodies of LEADER projects and in CLLD and encourages all levels of society, from young people to the elderly, to participate in the planning and design of projects, and suggests stepping up communication and education initiatives on CLLD/LEADER in order to enable local actors to harness the full benefits of these programmes.
Impact
The European Commission's fully recognises the great contribution of territorial approaches such as LEADER/CLLD to rural development and wider participative European democracy. In its Vision for Agriculture and Food, the Commission has made a clear commitment to reinforce them in the future.
The Commission recognizes LEADER/CLLD as central to rural development and participative democracy, with principles defined at the EU level but implemented in shared management with Member States and regions. It supports exchanges among Member States to improve LEADER's implementation quality. LEADER/CLLD is valued beyond funding for enhancing social capital, local governance, and project outcomes. Local Action Groups (LAGs) involve over 120,000 partners, fostering networks and multi-level governance, and efforts to include youth and women in decision-making are monitored and encouraged.
The Commission focuses on simplifying funding access for LAGs, promoting simplified cost options, easing advance payments, and addressing hurdles like national co-financing arrangements. It also integrates LEADER/CLLD in the EU rural action plan and ongoing policy dialogues.
he Commission embedded the recognition of territorial approaches such as LEADER/CLLD in the long-term vision for EU rural areas (LTVRA). It included a dedicated action to reinforce networking for LEADER in the EU rural action plan and informed on its implementation in its report on LTVRA key achievements and ways forward in March 2024. In its Vision for Agriculture and Food, the Commission committed to further operationalise and sufficiently resource rural proofing. The Commission thanks the Committee for its recommendations and will use them as an input to improve the measures already put in place to implement rural proofing at EU, national, regional and local levels as explained in the aforementioned March 2024 report
The Commission is now seeking to involve the wide LEADER networks, which have won trust of local communities over the years, to its coordinated efforts to build stronger resilience against disinformation.
The Commission recognizes LEADER/CLLD as central to rural development and participative democracy, with principles defined at the EU level but implemented in shared management with Member States and regions. It supports exchanges among Member States to improve LEADER's implementation quality. LEADER/CLLD is valued beyond funding for enhancing social capital, local governance, and project outcomes. Local Action Groups (LAGs) involve over 120,000 partners, fostering networks and multi-level governance, and efforts to include youth and women in decision-making are monitored and encouraged.
The Commission focuses on simplifying funding access for LAGs, promoting simplified cost options, easing advance payments, and addressing hurdles like national co-financing arrangements. It also integrates LEADER/CLLD in the EU rural action plan and ongoing policy dialogues.
he Commission embedded the recognition of territorial approaches such as LEADER/CLLD in the long-term vision for EU rural areas (LTVRA). It included a dedicated action to reinforce networking for LEADER in the EU rural action plan and informed on its implementation in its report on LTVRA key achievements and ways forward in March 2024. In its Vision for Agriculture and Food, the Commission committed to further operationalise and sufficiently resource rural proofing. The Commission thanks the Committee for its recommendations and will use them as an input to improve the measures already put in place to implement rural proofing at EU, national, regional and local levels as explained in the aforementioned March 2024 report
The Commission is now seeking to involve the wide LEADER networks, which have won trust of local communities over the years, to its coordinated efforts to build stronger resilience against disinformation.
Essential points
THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS (CoR)
calls for place-based policies to be bolstered and better targeted by boosting the capacity of the CLLD/LEADER instrument in order to meet the increasing expectations of rural development and territorial cohesion. These programmes have proven to be effective in empowering rural areas, but they now need to be tailored to meet future challenges;
considers crucial the need to simplify access to EU funding and procedures under a coherent and flexible approach to territorial development;
proposes establishing new implementation tools to bolster the support for CLLD-LEADER. These tools would be based on a lead fund whose management regulation would apply to contributions from the other mobilised funds with a mandatory percentage of funding earmarked for CLLD in each of these funds and on the use of lump-sum payments for small projects;
proposes encouraging the use of pre-financing and advance schemes for small projects. Furthermore, calls for the introduction of a mechanism to ensure the systematic payment of an advance representing 80% of the grant awarded as soon as the project has been approved;
calls for greater involvement of women in the decision-making bodies of LEADER projects and in CLLD and encourages all levels of society, from young people to the elderly, to participate in the planning and design of projects;
suggests stepping up communication and education initiatives on CLLD/LEADER in order to enable local actors to harness the full benefits of these programmes.