LDnet

Local Development Network

Publications

Rural development: a call for a broader territorial cohesion agenda

The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) adopted an opinion on the Future of Rural Development after 2027 during a plenary session of on 6 May 2026. Led by rapporteur Radim Sršeň (CZ/EPP), mayor of Dolní Studénky, the opinion calls for rural development to be fully recognised as a core objective of Cohesion Policy, supported by dedicated funding […]

Flexibility and Simplification in Cohesion Policy under the 2028-2034 MFF Proposals

This study for the REGI Committee of European Parliament assesses the main implications of the European Commission’s 2028-2034 proposals for the future design and implementation of Cohesion Policy, from the perspective of the European Parliament. It examines the likely effects of the proposed new framework on simplification, flexibility, territorial and thematic concentrations, and Interreg, while […]

The new LEADER added value

The transnational LEADER cooperation project “OUR COMMON FUTURE”, involved LAGs from Austria, Luxembourg, Portugal, Bulgaria together with associated LAGs from Sweden, Finland, Italy, France, Spain, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia and Romania. Lead partner was the LEADER-forum Austria. The project set out—building on more than 30 years of successful LEADER/CLLD as a participatory approach to urban and […]

Citizen science contributions to environmental risks assessment and management

Using Citizen Science with local communities to address environmental risk is an approach attracting considerable interest and is expected to be the subject of a webinar in the Autumn 2026. This publication, co-authored by LDnet members Joanna Storie and Ghieth Alkhateeb, is an example of the growing number of research contributions in this field. Citizen […]

LEADER-CLLD post 2027: redefining the place of the EU in local development

AEIDL has published a new discussion paper, authored by Raquel Pastor Carretero and Serafin Pazos-Vidal from AEIDL’s Rural and Territorial Development team. The paper examines how the proposed 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) could redefine the future of LEADER and Community‑Led Local Development (CLLD). It warns that the shift to a Single Fund and to National and Regional Partnership Plans (NRPPs) represents […]

Proposals for improving the draft regulations accompanying the next MMF

As discussed in the recent LDnet webinar on the way that the MFF proposals are likely to evolve in 2026, there several proposals that are currently being discussed focussed on specific amendments to the draft Regulations. . Some of the proposals are substantial. For instance, the recently published draft CoR Opinion on the NRPP Fund […]

Study on Cohesion Policy territorial instruments

The European Policies Research Centre (EPRC) is highlighting the outputs from its recent study on Cohesion Policy territorial instruments implemented in 2014-20, including the final report of the study, instrument fiches and country fiches.  The five types of territorial instruments covered by the study are: SUD ITI – Sustainable Urban Development Integrated Territorial Investment Non-SUD […]

Roadmaps for Administrative Capacity Building – Design and Implementation

The ‘Study on Roadmaps for Administrative Capacity Building – Design and Implementation’ was carried out by t33 and Spatial Foresight for the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy of the European Commission. The study provides an in-depth analysis of the development and implementation of roadmaps designed to strengthen administrative capacity in fifteen EU Member States. […]

Expert Voices – From community, for community

In the latest interview in the EXPERT VOICES series, Armelle Ledan, Social Innovation Expert and ELIF Thematic Coordinator, reflects on how EU policy and funding frameworks support, and often limit, Community-Led Social Innovation (CLSI) in practice. She highlights why community-led initiatives still struggle to access EU funding, explains why LEADER and CLLD remain among the most […]

Chairperson’s report

Following the re-launch of LDnet earlier this year, four groups initiated by the management board of our association are now up and running. The communications group has set up a number of new systems and we now have a members WhatsApp group  which you are welcome to join.  We have just become active on Bluesky having […]