Brač Declaration sets out a joint vision for the future of LEADER-CLLD
On 18 September 2026, representatives of Local Action Groups (LAGs) and Fisheries Local Action Groups (FLAGs) from across Croatia gathered in Supetar on the island of Brač to adopt the Brač Declaration for the Future of LEADER-CLLD and the Development of Resilient and Attractive Rural, Coastal, and Fisheries Areas.
The Declaration presents a joint position on the future of LEADER-CLLD and highlights the importance of strengthening community-led local development in future European and national policies.
In Croatia, 56 LAGs and 23 FLAGs operate across 97% of the country’s territory, covering areas with around 2.5 million inhabitants.
The Brač Declaration is inspired by the principles of the Tartu Declaration of 2016, the Brussels Declaration of 2023 and the ELARD Declaration of 2024, as well as the conclusions of the LEADER-CLLD Thematic Working Group of the National CAP Network “The Future ofRural Area Development Post-2027”.
Five key priorities for the future of LEADER-CLLD
The Brač Declaration highlights five main priorities:
1. Strengthening and expanding LEADER-CLLD
The Declaration calls for LEADER-CLLD to remain an integrated and binding instrument within the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). It also calls for the LEADER-CLLD methodology to be more systematically integrated into EU cohesion and social policies.
2. Recognising LAGs and FLAGs as strategic actors in local development
The Declaration calls for formal recognition of LAGs and FLAGs as autonomous actors in local development. Through their network organisations, they should be involved in all stages of European and national policies and programmes, from creation and programming to implementation, monitoring and evaluation, including National and Regional Partnership Plans.
3. Ensuring stable and protected funding
For the 2028–2034 financial period, the Declaration calls for stable and legally protected funding to ensure the continuity of LAG and FLAG activities and the implementation of local development strategies.
It also calls for an allocation of at least €360 million, taking into account population size, territorial scope and the specific needs of local communities.
4. Reducing bureaucracy and simplifying funding
The Declaration calls for simpler management and control systems and wider use of Simplified Cost Options, such as lump sums and flat rates. The aim is to shift the focus from administrative procedures towards concrete and measurable results at local level.
5. Strengthening rural proofing
The Declaration calls for mandatory assessment of the impact of EU, national and regional policy decisions on rural, coastal and fisheries areas. It also calls for LAGs and FLAGs, through their network organisations, to be actively involved in rural proofing on the ground.
A call for the next programming period
Through the Brač Declaration, Croatian LAGs and FLAGs call on national authorities and EU institutions to incorporate these principles into upcoming strategic documents and the forthcoming programming period.
The Declaration emphasises that Europe’s future and stability are closely connected to the vitality of its local communities and to resilient and dynamic rural, coastal and fisheries areas.
