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who are the avant garde of local development? Is it the [transition towns] movement, the city food growers and guerilla gardeners, the indignados and occupy movement, the [meanwhile users] who use vacant shops, offices and houses to create new pop up cafes restaurants, galleries and appartments, the social entrepreneurs and social innovators or is it you?

The Commission has included the idea of Community Led Local Development in its regulations for [Structural Funds], Agriculture and Fisheries. Saying that it will be a LEADER style approach is one thing, but what does this mean for urban areas? How big will areas be? Who is meant by the Community? Will grass-roots organisations really be at the table? Will NGOs be able to bid for EU funds on the same terms as public sector bodies. In short will the LEADER revolution really move to the cohesion policy?