The debate about the post-2027 EU budget and policy priorities is continuing among serious concerns about the potential impact of funding for LEADER/CLLD and local development.
ELARD has now launched a petition calling on the European Commission to reinforce LEADER/CLLD as a key pillar of EU rural policy and funding in the next multiannual financial framework (MFF) and to recognise it as a horizontal tool for territorial cohesion with a dedicated, ring-fenced budget secured across relevant EU funds in the next MFF beyond the Common Agricultural Policy.
The petition calls on the European Commission to:
- Make participatory rural development tools mandatory across all EU member states in the next multiannual financial framework (MFF), ensuring that leader/CLLD remains a core pillar of EU territorial policies.
- Integrate LEADER/CLLD into multiple EU policies and protect its budgetary allocation with earmarking, including the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and Cohesion Policy, recognising that rural development extends beyond agriculture. With this, a clear definition of what rural development encompasses must be advertised.
- Strengthen and recognise the role of Local Action Groups (LAGs) as key facilitators of EU policies at the local level, and as key stakeholders in preventing and fighting disinformation, making them recognised partners in governance and European integration efforts.
- Simplify access to funding by reducing administrative burdens and ensuring multi-fund mechanisms support efficient, community-led initiatives, along with the EU’s commitment to reducing red tape from member states and enhancing local governance capacity.
- Increase funding for LEADER-CLLD, at a level that matches its proven impact and expanded role in tackling rural challenges.
You can see, sign and shre the petition HERE.
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