This paper ‘Slovenia monitors and evaluates the LEADER/CLLD delivery’ by Dr Irma Potočnik Slavič offers an analysis of the processes that have had a key impact on rural development in Slovenia after independence in 1991. It is important for professionals dealing with rural development and, at the same time, contributes to the development of the […]
Registration opens for: “A new architecture of EU policies and funds post-2027 – what place for local development?” – 28 May 2025
On 19 February 2025 LDnet organised a webinar with a lively discussion about the future shape of EU policies and the potential consequences for local communities in urban and rural areas. As decisionmakers at EU level are preparing to publish the draft legislation of the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework for post-2027, numerous stakeholder groups express […]
A stronger future for rural Europe: petition calls for urgent action on LEADER/CLLD
The debate about the post-2027 EU budget and policy priorities is continuing among serious concerns about the potential impact of funding for LEADER/CLLD and local development. ELARD has now launched a petition calling on the European Commission to reinforce LEADER/CLLD as a key pillar of EU rural policy and funding in the next multiannual financial […]
LDnet Webinar (19.2.2025) – “A new architecture of EU policies and funds post-2027 – what place for local development?” – Summary, presentations, recording
This event took place online on 19 February 2025 as part of the 2025 series of LDnet webinars. It was attended by more than 120 people. The summary of the proceedings is available below together with links to the presentations and the recording of the event. A new architecture of EU policies and funds post-2027 […]
LDnet Webinar (21.1.2025)- “Citizen participation: From Sherry Arnstein’s ladder to Co-everything” (21.1.2025) – Summary, presentations, recording
This was the first in a new 2025 series of LDnet webinars. It took place online on 21 January 2025 with three main speakers – Peter Ramsden, Marijana Sumpor, Giuseppe Pace – and 45 active participants. Like all LDnet webinars it was free and open to practitioners, researchers and policy administrators. Urszula Budzich-Tabor, LDnet and […]
LEADER: Where it came from and what’s still in it (2nd edition)
LEADER has a long history and is still going strong. Robert Lukesch gave a talk in the final conference of the transnational project ‘LEADER/CLLD: Our common future’ on 4-6 November 2024, in Cheleiros/Mafra, Portugal, on the topic of ‘LEADER: Where it came from and what’s still in it’. This was based on a treatise in […]
Empowering Local Communities for Smart and Sustainable Cultural Heritage (Webinar 26 March 2025, 17.00 CET)
This webinar will follow up on the theme of participative approaches to local development and is titled “Empowering Local Communities for Smart and Sustainable Cultural Heritage: Bridging Expertise, Digital Change, and Partnerships”. It will take place online on Wednesday 26 March 2025 at 17:00 CET. This webinar is led by Rosalba La Grotteria and Giuseppe Pace. […]
LDnet Webinar – “A new architecture of EU policies and funds post-2027 – what place for local development?” (19.2.2025)
This is the second in a new 2025 series of LDnet webinars. It is open to practitioners, researchers and policy administrators. All the LDnet webinars are free. Registration is open HERE. The topic of this webinar is extremely topical following the publication of the Commission’s communication on this matter on 11.2.2025 – see HERE – […]
Post-2027 EU funding for local development under threat
The debate has started about the next MFF of the EU. Although there are no formally proposals in the public domain, informal briefings have raised concerns about the possible implications of a new MFF archtecture for the local and regional level. These concerns stem mostly from two features highlighted in two recent news items: The […]
CoR: Programmes led by local action groups and communities must be reinforced and simplified
The Commission for Natural Resources (NAT) of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) discussed at its meeting on 27 November 2024 a draft opinion on “How post-27 LEADER and CLLD programming could contribute to better implementation of the long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas” (Rapporteur: Thibaut Guignar, Mayor of Plœuc-l’Hermitage). In this opinion […]
25 years of LEADER: What impacts?
The Austrian LAG Styrian Volcanic Land (Steirisches Vulkanland) wanted to know what its local development efforts stretching over a quarter of a century have been ultimately good for. This groundbreaking impact study was entrusted to an ÖAR team assisted by students from the Vienna University [1] Robert Lukesch The study aimed to evaluate the intended […]
Insights into LEADER evaluations
Evaluating LEADER under CAP presents a substantial challenge. It is not just about measuring LEADER’s contribution to the CAP’s Specific Objectives, but also uncovering the added value generated from the application of the ‘LEADER method’. To help find a path forward, the European Evaluation Helpdesk for the CAP is working with experts to extract best […]