LDnet is organising a special session at this year's annual conference of the RSA in Santiago de Compostela on the topic of "Strengthening the impact of research on EU local development policies". One of the objectives of the next period’s EU funding is contributing to a Europe closer to citizens by fostering the sustainable and integrated local development and … [Read more...]
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Local knowledge-based development
In this paper Professor Ilona Pálné Kovács outlines the theoretical frameworks of knowledge-based governance and development, examines the role of local governments as important actors in local development, and examines the scope for place-based development in a centralised governance context. To read the full paper, including abstract and literature, click … [Read more...]
CLLD/Leader: Past, present and future
In this wide-ranging paper Robert Lukesch goes back to the precursors of Leader and looks at each stage of its evolution, highlighting the complex principles behind this approach (“more than the seven features and usual clichés”) and discussing success factors. He takes us to the current CLLD/Leader period and looks at what lies ahead. He debates whether CLLD/Leader has become … [Read more...]
Internships with LDnet
There are opportunities for internships with LDnet for people with studies or interests related to local development. We have offered such internships, jointly with other Brussels-based organisations, in the last two years with students from French and German universities. We expect to be able to offer one or two internships in 2019. We follow a flexible format and an … [Read more...]
Knowledge, Policymaking and Learning for European Cities and Regions: From Research to Practice
The interaction between research, policy and practice in local development is of major interest and LDnet organised a special session on this theme at the annual conference of the RSA in June 2018 in Lugano. One of the panellists in this debate Dr Nicola Francesco Dotti is the editor of a new book making a major contribution on this issue. This new book provides theories, … [Read more...]
Workshop on “New Challenges of Decentralisation”: Call for papers
Decentralisation has been a main trend in good governance for many decades, spreading also to the developing and transition countries worldwide. Many territorial reforms have been implemented under the umbrella of principle of subsidiarity and decentralisation, but recently centralisation attempts have emerged highlighting that decentralisation has crucial preconditions and … [Read more...]
LEADER in the witness box: Hearing in the European Parliament
On 22 November 2018, the AGRI Committee, together with the CONT (Budgetary Control) Committee of the European Parliament held a Public Hearing on LEADER experiences - lessons learned and effectiveness of EU funds for rural development. The aim was to evaluate how the LEADER programme had worked over the past, what its added value was and how it could be improved in the … [Read more...]
Leadership in place-based development
“The role of leadership in place-based development and building institutional arrangements” is a paper by L. G. Horlings, D. Roep and W. Wellbrock published in Local Economy, the journal of the Local Economic Policy Unit. In various case studies across Europe the vital role of rural place leadership in enabling a place-based approach to local and regional development has … [Read more...]
Preserving the specific features of CLLD post-2020
In May 2018, the European Commission published its proposals for CLLD/LEADER in the post-2020 period. The overall impression is that these proposals, broadly speaking, amount to a continuation of the approach and rules applying to CLLD/LEADER in the current, 2014-2020 period. But as already noted by Robert Lukesch in his 'LEADER RELOADED' paper, there will be a fundamental … [Read more...]
The future of local development in the EU: Where do you stand?
Already many interesting ideas and proposals are coming out on the future of local development as seen and supported by EU policies and funds. They offer reflections on both the long experience of LEADER (from the days of the ‘community initiatives’ to the mainstreaming of LEADER) and the lessons from the much shorter experience of applying CLLD in rural, urban and coastal … [Read more...]
A new handbook on evaluating CLLD at the local level
FARNET and FAME Support Units have developed a handbook on evaluating Community-Led Local Development (CLLD) at the local level. This handbook is addressed to all Local Action Groups (LAGs) funded from one or several of the four ESI Funds and it provides them with easy-to-use tools and methods. It covers the main steps in evaluating Local Development Strategies (LDS): planning … [Read more...]
European Commission proposals for CLLD after 2020
The avalanche of proposals for the 2021-2017 period is continuing. On 29.05.2018 the European Commission published its proposal for a new Common Provisions Regulation [COM(2018) 375 final] which confirms the continuation of CLLD although uncertainties remain – and we’ll return with a critical review. Title III, Chapter II of the new CPR deals with Territorial Development, … [Read more...]