Leader+ Steering Committee Meeting

12 March 2008, Brussels / Belgium

Capitalisation of cooperation experienceLászló SimonHungary

European Commission

Rural trends in Hungary

Missing communities in rural areas

High expectations towards governmental bodies

Lack of local innovation

Projects without wide social basis

Lack of decentralized decision-making

Missing local, regional and national development networks

The idea of cooperation is not popular

LEADER+ in Hungary

186 applicant LAGs: 2332 villages, 3.5 mn people 70 selected LAGs

960 settlements 1.6 million

inhabitants EUR 25 million

total funding 2,600 selected

local projects Implementation

until 2008

Cooperation: Tasks

Introduction, enhancement

Events

Partner search

Best practice

Consultancy

Study tours

Project development

Preparation of bilateral cooperation agreements

Introduction of international experience on national conferences

Presentations, lectures and consultancy Conferences and seminars

LEADER Centre events Other events

International conferencesin Hungary and abroad

46 foreign lecturers (international rural development experts) in all national LEADER seminars and conferences

Signing a Memorandum by the Commissioner and the Minister

Joint Initiatives for the Hungarian Countryside

To start discussion between rural actors Seek and create LEADER-based cooperation

opportunities, elaborate cooperation ideas and projects (rural areas in Hungary and abroad)

Share national and international LEADER and other rural development experience, examples and good practices

Projects ideas: rural tourism, local products, renewable energies, equal opportunities

Thematic discussions: human resource conditions, communication, young people in rural development

Tisza project

The river Tisza is a source of values and identity as well

Cooperating Local Action Groups along the river Tourism development in unutilised areas Building new harbours, introducing cultural values Infrastructure

development, education and marketing

Regional cooperation Complex packages

Oxenweg

A traditional grey-cattle transportation route through Hungary, Austria and Germany

International partnership, preservation of cultural and gastronomic values and traditions

Establishing hiking routes along the traditional route for normal tourists or with horses, bicycle and car

Tourism packages Regional values

Hungarian Rural Tourism Days

Supported by the Ministry, organized by the LEADER Centre Aiming at promoting cooperation of micro-regional actors

(local civil organizations, entrepreneurs, municipalities) to make use of rural tourism opportunities

52 LAGs, 340 settlements, ca. 900 service-providers and ca. 1,400 services offered with a discount of 30 to 100%

Media campaign: national, regional, local publications

Website with all information: www.hazajaro.hu

Experience sharing

Poland Representatives of Managing

Authority, Paying Agency, LAGs Visit to Hungary: National institutions, LAGs

Study tours Güssing, the bio town: Renewable energies Scotland: Young participants, youth projects Wales: The operation of LEADER in practice Brussels: Parliament and European institutions

Visitors from many EU and non-EU countries

Bilateral relations:Romania

1st Hungarian-Romanian LEADER Conference (Nagyvárad)

Visit of 45 young Romanians in Hungary (to collect new experience)

LEADER road show in Romania: 11 locations, about 400 participants

Mentoring Programme Networking Get more experience Targeted programmes

and events

Bilateral relations:Croatia

Croatian-French-Hungarian cooperation to establish a pilot LAG in the island of Brac

On-the-spot analysis, plenary session, teamwork

To learn about the area and involve local actors

Detailed introductory study, strategic planning

Experiencing a NMS

Croatian study tour in Hungary

Balkan Tour: Skopje, Bosnian group

Skopje: LEADER seminar for Balkan countries Preparation for LEADER, networking

Bosnian group: A 10-day study tour To visit LAGs and business development centres to

learn about Hungarian LEADER experience, role in national rural development strategy, three LAGs, municipal programmes, business development, agriculture and tourism development

Cooperation in the future

Green Paper Based on the experience of the Hungarian NNU Wide social discussion on the future of LEADER Covering the whole country with LAGs and LEADER-

like communities LAGs prepare strategy and select projects for Axes 3

and 4 EUR 8 to 10 million per LAG

Cooperation Separate budget, National Rural Network to support

international cooperation Strategy writing February - June 2008 Starting LEADER and opening cooperation

opportunities: August 2008

LEADER Centre: Work in figures

Events in Hungary once in every 5 daysInternational events 16Newsletter 14Magazine 60On-the-spot consultancy for LAGs 4International partner search 5Working on the spot in the country 2

Thank you for your kind attention

Contact details:

László Simon, Director of Central Development Programme Office, National Development Agencysimon.laszlo@meh.hu

István Már, Responsible for LEADER cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Developmentimar@vkszi.hu

European Commission