“A new architecture of EU policies and funds post-2027 – what place for local development?” Part 3: In what direction can the next MFF evolve in 2026? Webinar, Thursday 4 December 2025, 16:30-18:00 CET 2025 has seen the prospect of a dramatic transformation of EU funding and policy architecture in the 2028-2034 period. It has […]
Archives for 2025
6th European Rural Parliament: Rural Solutions to Global Challenges
Neslihan Önder Özen, Alistair Adam Hernández November 5, 2025 As part of the German Delegation, Alistair Adam Hernández and Neslihan Önder Özen from LDnet participated in the 6th European Rural Parliament and served as co-moderators of two workshops on rural movements alongside Tobias Federwisch from the Village Movement Brandenburg. The reflections below draw on our […]
European Urban CLLD Network
LDnet covered the first public meeting of the newly created European urban CLLD network in Brussels on 3rd and 4th November 2025. The network has been set up on the initiative of Valentin Dimon, president of the Bucharest LAG. Its early members include his own LAG in Bucharest, Camina in Spain, a LAG in Czechia […]
The European Commission’s proposals for the future EU budget: Stakeholders’ and experts’ responses
As expected, on 16 July 2025, the European Commission published its long awaited proposals for the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for the 2028-2034 period and we have published an extensive overview. A debate has already kicked off and we are summarising below the stakeholders’ and experts’ responses, with special reference to local development and territorial cohesion. […]
“Post-2027 Urban Policy of the EU: What regenerative action to achieve the EGD objectives?” – 12 November 2025 (online)
The supranational nature of the EU’s urban policy makes it a unique framework that provides a wealth of experience and knowledge regarding how to act in the urban realm to foster social and territorial cohesion. Given the growing recognition of cities as crucial actors to make the ecological and green transition envisaged by the EU’s […]
An overview of the Commission’s EU budget proposal and the challenges ahead
The Commission lays out the plans before the budget battle Serafín Pazos-Vidal analyses the new EU budget proposal for 2028-2034 presented by the Von der Leyen Commission. Although it is billed as a “radical restructuring,” the author warns that it is actually “doing much more with the same,” which foreshadows a tough political battle in […]
Βottom-up initiatives can make local communities more resilient to climate change, social exclusion, disinformation, or conflict challenges
The series ‘Expert Voices’ offers interviews showcasing the experience and insights of AEIDL experts and ELIF members. In the 8th edition, Urszula Budzich-Tabor, Senior Policy Analyst at AEIDL on the Rural Pact Support Office and LDnet Deputy Chair, highlights: How the LEADER approach empowers local communities and inspires CLLD in coastal and fisheries areas. The impact of CLLD in […]
A new urban policy agenda for the EU
This briefing paper by the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS), authored by Vasilis Margaras and published in October 2025, addresses the current challenges facing the cities in Europe and the EU response through the Urban Agenda for the EU (UAEU) so far and potentially in the post-2027 period. The paper covers the the Urban Agenda […]
STRAT-Board: A major data source on how CLLD and other territorial instruments are used in 2021-27
STRAT-Board, an Interactive Tool for Integrated Urban & Territorial Strategies In October 2025, the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) launched the 2021-27 version of its STRAT-Board database and map showing all Cohesion Policy-funded territorial strategies in the EU. It is an interactive mapping tool providing information on so far 1,426 integrated strategies that make use […]
UNIMUNICIPIOS: Connecting research and local communities for sustainable development
On September 1, 2025, at CEiiA | Engineering and Product Development Centre, the host institution of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network’s Portugal network (SDSN Portugal), the network signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with three Portuguese municipalities — Matosinhos, Braga, and Guimarães — as well as two higher education institutions, the University of Minho […]
CoR: Democracy and European unity at risk under current post-2027 MFF proposal
A debate on the next EU long-term budget after 2027, the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), highlighted major concerns among regions and cities regarding the proposal put forward by the European Commission on 16 July. The exchange, held during the meeting of the Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and EU Budget (COTER) on 7 October, brought […]
Strengthening local capacity to empower communities to innovate, making solutions more inclusive, resilient and sustainable
“Policies that respect and strengthen local capacity don’t just deliver services — they empower communities to innovate, making solutions more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable.” The series ‘Expert Voices’ is expanding, sharing the latest interviews showcasing the experience and insights of AEIDL experts and ELIF members. The 6th edition, features Alexandra Yaghil, Policy Expert & Project Manager at AEIDL – […]