Leader Approach - Rural Development - Lecture Slides, Slides of Human Development

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The Leader approach and its implementation Docsity.com • Overview of the Leader approach • How Leader has evolved: 1991-present • Implementation of Leader in 2007-13 period Docsity.com Why Leader? • A tool for rural communities: they know best their needs • A way to mobilise local resources, build social capital and partnerships • An alternative to more classical development policies: ‘bottom-up’ versus ‘top-down’ Docsity.com How Leader has evolved • A pilot scheme which has grown rapidly • 14 years of experience in the EU – 1991-93 Leader I – 1994-99 Leader II – 2000-2006 LEADER+ • Since May 2004 – An element in RDR in EU-10 (6 of 10 using) – Option under SAPARD for Bulgaria and Romania (not yet taken up) Docsity.com Some key data Leader I Leader II Leader+ No. of LAGs 217 1005 893* EU financial support 400 MECU 1400 MECU 2144 MEUR * Not including ‘mainstreamed’ LAGS Docsity.com Rural Development 2007-2013 « LEADER » Axis Axis 1 Competi- tiveness Axis 2 Environment + Land Management Axis 3 Economic Divers. + Quality of Life Single set of programming, financing, monitoring, auditing rules Single Rural Development Fund <<LEADE Axis>> Docsity.com Building blocks of RD policy 2007-13 • Community Strategic Guidelines: EU priorities for 2007-13 • National strategy plan • National or regional rural development programmes • 4 priority axes including Leader axis Docsity.com The Community strategic guidelines for axis 4 The EU priorities: • Use the Leader approach for introducing innovation in axis 1, 2 and 3 – better governance at the local level – endogenous development (local resources for growth and jobs) Key actions: local capacity building, public-private partnerships, networking and cooperation, mutually supportive actions between agriculture, the environment and the wider rural economy and population, sustainability Docsity.com Local Action Groups (Art 62) To be selected LAGs must: • be responsible for drawing up and implementing an integrated local development strategy (eg. responsible for project selection); • be made up of a representative partnership of the socio-economic sectors in the local area; At decision-making level the economic and social partners and civil society must make up at least 50 % of the local partnership (e.g. Chambers of trade, agriculture, or SMEs, NGOs, rural womens associations etc) ; • show the ability to define and implement a development strategy for the local area; • represent a coherent geographical area with the critical mass to support a viable development strategy; • have the ability to administer public funds Docsity.com 3 Leader measures (Art. 63) Support for: a) Implementing local development strategies to achieve the objectives of one or more of the 3 RD axes; b) Implementing cooperation projects; c) Running the local action group, acquisition of skills and animating the territory. Docsity.com Measure (a): Implementing local strategies (Art. 64) • Projects supported should correspond to the objectives of one or more of the three rural development axes; • Individual projects do not necessarily correspond to one of the 37 rural development measures; • If project enters into the scope of application of one of the measures eligibility conditions of the measure apply (e.g. modernisation of farms, food quality schemes..). Docsity.com Measure (c): Running the LAG, acquiring skills and animating the territory • Covers actions such as LAG overhead costs (office, staff, equipment); studies of the area concerned; information measures about the area and local development strategy; training of LAG staff; promotional events for selected LAGs; • Close link with measure ‘skills acquisition, animation and implementation’ under 3rd Axis (Art. 59) • For BG/RO more detailed provisions in Accession Treaty aimed at building capacity for Leader approach independent of LAG selection: support for building representative local development partnerships; drawing up integrated development strategies; financing research and applications for support. → issue for Adaptation Package Docsity.com Implementing Rules • General implementing rules for Reg 1698/2005 under preparation; • Aim adoption by end 2005/early 2006 • Commission will propose some more detailed provisions for Leader axis. E.g.: – On LAG selection: procedures; indicative maximum number LAGs; deadlines.. – Population criteria – Ceiling on LAG administrative costs – Co-operation projects Docsity.com Balance between objectives (Art.17) • Leader axis budget : – At least 5 % of total EAFRD contribution in the EU-15; – At least 2.5% in the EU-10; – Specific phasing-in for BG/RO under consideration in Adaptation Package: No minimum in 2007-09, 2.5% for 2010-2013 • Cofinancing rate for Axis 4 for BG/RO: 80% • Financing for Leader activities will be recorded in the financial tables under each relevant Axis (1, 2 or 3) to calculate the EAFRD contribution by axis. Docsity.com