On 4-7 June, the Bulgarian Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, ELARD and the Association Bulgarian National LEADER Network held the 5th Annual International LEADER/CLLD Conference in Albena (Bulgaria).
Along with Lozana Vasileva, Deputy Minister from the Bulgarian Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, Donka Mihailova, Vice-Chairperson of the National Association of the Municipalities in Bulgaria, and Neli Kadieva, Chairperson of Association Bulgarian National LEADER Network, Maria João Botelho, President of ELARD, opened this conference.
The President of ELARD seized also this opportunity, adressing an audience of nearly 300 people, gathering a wide range of representatives of EU institutions and bodies, Rural Development and Operational Programmes, Local Governments, Managing Authorities, Paying Agencies and Local Action Groups from 22 countries, to express her concerns about the newly unveiled Regional and Cohesion Policy and the proposals for the new CAP, given the severe cuts, due to new or reinforced priorities on the EU Multianual Financial Framework and a reduction of the EU budget.
The event focused mainly the CLLD Approach integrated in the future CAP. The attendees shared good practices and advices on the implementation of this approach in the next programming period and they discussed cooperation ideas between LAGs, comprising non-EU countries.
Actually, LAGs from the Western Balkan countries such as Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, among others, were guests at the conference, in accordance with one of the priorities of the Bulgarian EU Presidency, namely its support to non-EU countries who will apply the LEADER approach for the first time.
Presentations:
Session 1: Future directions for rural development
CLLD or LEADER? Future directions for local development, Roman Haken, EESC
CAP Post-2020 – Legislative Proposals, Christiane Kirketerp, DG AGRI
LEADER/CLLD POST-2020 in the contexto of the new CAP approach, Elitsa Zhivkova, DG AGRI
Session 2: LEADER/CLLD: presente and future
LEADER/CLLD – state of play in EU, Kristiina Tammets, ELARD
CLLD in Sweden – State of Play, Bottlenecks, Successes, Marion Eckhard, Halland Lokalt Ledd Utveckling/LEADER Group
CLLD implementation in Poland, Ryszard Kamiński, Polish Rural Forum, LAG Partnership for Krajna & Pałuki
Community Led Local Development in Bulgaria, Stefan Spasov, Leader Department, Rural Development Directorate
CLLD and CLLD-U – Future Local Development, Roman Haken, EESC
Role of bottom-up approach LEADER/CLLD in 2021+, Radim Sršeň, CoR
Future of LEADER/CLLD, Kristiina Tammets, ELARD
Future of LEADER Approach 2020+, François Galabrun, Fédération LEADER France
Challenges of CLLD Implementation in the Czech Republic and its Perspective for 2021+, Radim Sršeň, National Network of LAGs of the Czech Republic
Future of LEADER Approach 2020+ in Romania, Alina Baba, LAG Napoca Porolissum
Session 3: LEADER/CLLD:sharing experiences
Encouraging LEADER approach in the Western Balkans and Turkey, Iwona Lisztwan, DG AGRI
LEADER approach in the Republic of Moldova: opportunities and challenges, Galina Petrachi, Rural Development Policy and Programs
SARD LEADER in Gagauzia, Taraclia and neighbouring villages in Moldova 2016-2018, Zaharii Dolomanji, LAG Gagauz Koraflari
Implementation of LEADER/CLLD in Italy, Enzo Reali, EU.Experts
Say Cheese! Balkan Cheese – Transnational Cooperation Project LEADER/CLLD, Sotirios Bolis, LAG Parnonas
Development of Transnational Cooperation with Bulgarian Action Groups, Neli Kadieva, Association Bulgarian National LEADER Network
