The CLLD/Leader and the Leader
Cooperation
Participatory Local Development Strategies:
+ LEADER for 2014-2020
Madrid, 29 October 2015
Christian Vincentini
DG Agriculture and Rural Development
Directorate H – General aspects of rural development and research
2,416
2,416
8.9
LEADER 2014-2020
Total public support for
LEADER
Indicative figures:
- Implemented in 28 MS
- Implemented in 109 RDPs
- € 9.4 billion total
public expenditure
Number of Local Action Groups per MS
- Around 2050 LAGs
supported
- 147 million of the EU
population in LAGs
3
The Leader/CLLD 2014-2020
- Mandatory for the EAFRD, optional for the other ESI
Funds
- Possibility of Multi-funding
- In case of multi-funded strategies, there must be a
coordinated and consistent support from the ESI
Funds concerned
Selection committee
Lead fund to support running and animation costs
The Leader/CLLD 2014-2020
- Area, LAG, Strategy
- Innovation
- Strategy: first round of selection  within 2 years
from the approval of the Partnership
Agreement
additional selections no later than 31
December 2017
- Area: 10.000-150.000 inhabitants, except duly
justified cases in the PA
The Leader/CLLD 2014-2020
- LAG: responsible for the design and implementation
of the strategy
draws the procedure for the selection of the
operations
publishes the calls for proposal and
defines the selection criteria
selects the operations and fixes the amount of
support
monitors the implementation of the strategy
MS planning to support multi-funded
strategies (sometimes only in a few regions)
ESI Funds other than EAFRD involved in
CLLD (multi-funded or single-funded LAGs)
Member States with CLLD possible also
in urban areas
Leader Cooperation
- Spontaneous cooperation initiatives since the
beginning of Leader, whereas initially not supported
by EAFRD
- Take advantage of similarities and complementarities
- Mutual learning is the main expected result of
cooperation
Cooperation as a mean to tackle common challenges
Leader Cooperation
- Pros: new connections to other rural areas
new ideas
new skills
strengthen identity
create new business opportunities
improve competitiveness
Leader Cooperation
- Cons:
-
different expectations
different working methods
communication limitations
conflicting administrative procedures and rules
Leader Cooperation 2014-2020
- Foreseen in Art. 44 Reg. 1305/2013
- Preparatory support now compulsory
- Mandatory at RDP level; recommended, but not
compulsory, at LAG level
- Role of the selection criteria
Leader Cooperation 2014-2020
- Approval of the projects no later than 4 months after
the submission of the project application
- MSs shall make public the national or regional
administrative procedures concerning the selection of
transnational co-operation projects and a list of
eligible costs at the latest two years after the date of
approval of their rural development programmes
- Member States shall communicate to the Commission
the approved transnational co-operation projects
Leader Cooperation 2014-2020
Possible partnership with:
- - other LAGs
- Local public/private
partners in a
rural territory that is implementing a
LDS within or outside the Union
non rural territory that is implementing
a LDS
- Internal coordination
High level of coordination needed
- External coordination
Leader Cooperation 2014-2020
Role of the Networks
ENRD (art. 52 RDR):
• support the national networks and transnational cooperation initiatives and cooperate with the
networking and technical support bodies for local
development set up by the other ESI Funds as
regards their local development activities and
transnational co-operation
Leader Cooperation 2014-2020
Role of the Networks
NRN (art. 54 RDR):
• provision of training and networking for LAGs and, in
particular, technical assistance for inter-territorial
and transnational co-operation, facilitation of cooperation among local action groups and the search
of partners for the measure referred to in Article 35
•
Events, seminars, databases, technical support,
consultancy, mentoring, search of partners, …
TNC projects by MS (2007-2013)
average TNC project amount: €165,000
Cooperation project partners from outside EU: Ukraine, Norway,
Panama, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Belice, El Salvador, Costa
Rica
Sources: - DG AGRI; SFC notifications, (March 2015)
Leader Transnational Cooperation
- Duration: 6-36 months; average 20 months
- Budget: few hundreds €–1,9 M€; average 165.000 €
- Main themes: Tourism, Culture, Community
development, Education
- Source of the themes: mainly the strategy
- Main beneficiaries: Local businesses, LAGs, NGOs
and other associations
Leader Transnational Cooperation
- Networking
- Can start as cooperation and can evolve into
business
- Financial and legislative issues with partners outside
the EU
- Timing of approval in different MS or third countries
 delays  pre-approval
Leader Transnational Cooperation
- Key issues of the previous programming period:
- Lengthy administrative procedures
- Restrictions due to national/regional rules
- Type and quality of technical support
- Absence of compulsory preparatory support
- Types of eligible costs
- Language and cultural issues