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 […]
LDnet Articles
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 – […]