CLLD country profile: Luxembourg

1. Key messages about local development and CLLD in this country

LEADER has been implemented very successfully in Luxembourg since 1991. Starting from initially just one LAG to currently five LAGs, the number of municipalities engaging in LEADER increased from initially six to currently 60. LEADER has become an important part of regional and national politics in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. So far, 570 innovative LEADER projects have been implemented, showing a great thematic variety. In Luxembourg, there is no LEADER support for infrastructure projects, but for investments in and with people. LEADER was and is a laboratory for innovative ideas, based on a participatory, partnership-based bottom-up approach and on networking of local actors.

Decisions are made at the local level by local actors. The LEADER offices act as contact and coordination points with two full-time positions. The Managing Authority is the Ministry of Agriculture, Viticulture and Rural Development, with the National Rural Network (NRN) also being part of the Ministry.

2. CLLD used in the following Funds

FUND		CLLD budget from the Fund (€)
EAFRD		7,284,600
EMFF		-
ESF		-
ERDF		-

Planned allocation at programme start

3. Possibility of multi-funding (linking several Funds in one strategy)

There is no possibility of multi-funding and the EAFRD is the only ESI Fund used for CLLD (LEADER) activities. Working with mono-funded LAGs has been very efficient, entirely in the spirit of administrative simplification.

4. Number of LAGs

105 private organisations from different areas are members of the LAGs, in addition to the 60 municipalities and a further 11 public partners. There is an average of 35 members per LAG.

5. Purposes, objectives for which CLLD is used

LEADER is implemented under the EAFRD OP’s Priority 6. There are no thematic restrictions for local development strategies of the LAGs.

6. State of play

By 31 December 2020, 98.09% of funds had been committed; 40.35% had already been paid. In the current funding period, 130 LEADER projects have been approved of which 10 are transnational cooperation projects. There is an additional budget for LAGs due to the successful implementation of the projects

7. Key achievements so far

Transnational cooperation of particular importance: each LAG has implemented at least one transnational cooperation project in both the past and current funding period. Also, there is the first joint transnational LEADER strategy in Europe between the LAG Miselerland (Luxembourg) and the LAG Moselfranken (Germany).

The first umbrella projects, for which simplified rules apply, were successfully implemented in the current funding period.

8. Key barriers encountered

• Increasing administrative effort
• Simplified Cost Options (SCOs) planned for the coming funding period

9. Some national specificities

Luxembourg does not receive any EMFF funding.

There is positive demographic development in Luxembourg’s rural municipalities, averaging a growth of 2% to 2.5% per year.