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Estonian National Rural Network The experiences and best practices of the LEADER programme and the activities of the National Network in Estonia 12. December, 2011 Vajdahunyad castle, Budapest The total Estonian RDP budget of the programming period 2007-2013 The total Estonian RDP budget is 924,8,9 mln EUR LEADER TA Axis III Axis I Axis II Axis I Improving the competitiveness 37,6% - 347,6 mln EUR Axis II Improving the environment 36,2% - 334,4 mln EUR Axis III Quality of life 12,9% - 118,9 mln EUR Axis IV LEADER 10 % - 86 mln EUR Technical support 4% - 38,1 mln EUR Leader start in Estonia 2004-2006 – LEADER-approach by the measure 3.6 “Local initiative based development projects – LEADER” within the framework of the Estonian National Development Plan Leader-measure was implemented by two options: acquisition of skills the adoption of integrated rural area development strategy. 24 LAGs National criteria LAG’s legal status = non-governmental organisation Objective of status must be development of rural life Area of LAG = minimum 2 municipalities Small towns up to 4000 inhabitants Municipality can enter to LAG only together with at least 1 community-based organisation + 1 entrepreneur from their area. LAG should be open for new members LAG must have developed or must intend to develop a local development strategy Members of the LAG must not be members of any other LAG at the same time Main tasks carried out by the LAGs Elaboration of calls including definition of local selection criteria Publication of calls Reception of applications Project assessment Project ranking Final list of selected projects proposed on the PA including fixing the amount of support TODAY – Leader covers 99,99% of Estonian rural areas • • • • Number of LAG’s: 26 Number of inhabitants in Leader areas: 504 363 The territory of Leader area: 42 827 km² The average number of inhabitants of Estonian LAGs is 19,411 people per LAG’s are • The biggest number of inhabitants among LAGs: 36,563 • The smallest number of inhabitants among LAGs: 7,240 – 24 LAGs – started implementation in 2009; 2 LAGs – started in 2010 Membership • Number of LAG-members: 1 554 – public sector 13 % – entrepreneurs 37 % – non-profit sector 50 % Every LAG has 60 members on the average Financial execution of ERDP (31.10.2012) - 1 • As if 5. December 2012 paying agency (Agricultural Registers and Information Board – ARIB) has approved 5,999 Leader projects support in total of 65.1 mln EUR, which: – 3% of RDP Axis 1 - 224 projects and support in total of 2.7 mln EUR – 96% of RDP Axis 3 – 5,716 projects and support in total of 57.9 mln EUR – 1 % cooperation projects - 52 projects, 23 of them are transnational cooperation projects + 2 TNC projects is in process of apporval Financial execution of ERDP (31.10.2012) - 2 • PA has finished and payed Leader – projects: 52.7 % – administrative costs to LAG-s 58,1 % Leader implementation (01.11.2012) 17% 9% 74% Private sector Local government Third sector Transnational cooperation Approved TNC: 1. Cooperation in Cultural Heritage Exploitation 2. Traditional sailing and maritime heritage 3. Clower Power. 4H twinning people. 4. From Salla to Salla 5. International Theme Routes 6. Dare to Dream 7. Loving Local Values 8. Planet said to me… 9. ECOLAND Leader Transnational cooperation Estonian LAG-s have partners in 16 countries: Finland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Latvia, Luxemburg, France, Austria, Italia, Russia, Portugal, Lithuania, Spain, UK Avarage TNC budget 223 641 EUR. Main subjects are: national cultural heritage, expirience exchange, youth, tourism, cooperation between enterpreneurs. Leader TNC 2007-2013 TNC main procedures are regulated by the national Leader legislation. TNC projects are part of the LAG strategy and budget. LAGs had to specify their project ideas in their LDS without naming the potential project partners. Maximum support per project is up to 200 000 EUR and up to 90%. The eligibility criteria are the same as for local projects under the LEADER measure. Preparatory technical support is part of LAGs administrative costs (visits, hosting and meetings with potential partners). Refund rate for the TNC project is up to 90% Application procedure: on-going Success of Leader in Estonia LAG’s and Leader is visible LAG = important regional development unit LAG = real cooperation of sectors LAG = active internationally LAG = adviser LAG = administrative capacity (230 positive applications) Regional food networks • 13 LAGs have established regional food networks to raise the competitiveness of local small producers. • The most well-known networks in Estonia are Delicious South-Estonia (Maitsev Lõuna-Eesti), Local Taste (Uma Mekk), The Greener Mark of Põlva county (Põlvamaa Rohelisem Märk) and marketing association that joins small-producers of Saaremaa island. Rural tourism networks • 11 LAGs have improved the potential of rural areas through creating new tourism networks. • The most successful ones are for example Romantic Coastline (Romantiline Rannatee) in Pärnu county, Onion Road (Sibulatee) in Tartu county and Post Road (Postitee) in Põlva county. Active people have started or are going to start many projects that are unique in the whole Europe, like Peter the Great's Naval Fortress as a military tourism object, geo-park in Tartu and Jõgeva county, Alutaguse Adventure Park and rowing watercourses in old oil shale pit in Aidu. Use of alternative energy • There have been investments in many different sustainable solutions that use alternative energy. For example, Leader measure has supported • straw-briquette manufactory in Peipsi-Alutaguse and East-Harju county, • the first solar panel manufactory in Estonia situated in North-Harju county, • and bio-granules manufactory in Viru-counties that uses waste-paper, straw and turf for production. Regional cooperation • Leader is a programme that facilitates regional cooperation between more than two LAG’s. For example: • place-marketing cooperation near lake Peipus between five Local action groups (including Peipsi fisheries area), • West-Estonian food network between three LAGs, smallproducers cooperation between five South-Estonian LAGs, • cooperation based on local food between three LAGs from Ida-Viru county. Leaderi future discussions • Since September 2011.a Ministry of Agryculture – Steering Committee and 11 thematic working groups for programming RDP for 2014-2020 – started also Working group of COMMUNITYLED LOCAL DEVELOPMENT AND Leader 2014+ preparation Working group meetings in 2012.a: 5.October, 25.October, 14.November and 12. November – Representaives from different ministries and organisations (Rural Parliament, universities, etc). Activities to show positive of Leader-method – organised by ENRN – Leader seminars – speakers from different ministries – Leader conference + fair “Europe Day with Leaderiga” – more than 260 participants, exhibition of Leader projects (different ministries, rural actors) – Study tour to Finland to introduce with Leader and CLLD preparation – participants from other ministries – Leader-study tours in Estonia – 5 different in 5 days – 3-5 project visits + 2 h discussions with LAG representatives. Estonian Rural Network Unit Overall structure – where is NRN? Managing Authority (MA) Ministry of Agriculture Paying Agency (PA) Agricultural Registration and Information Board (ARIB) Department of Rural Network and Fisheries Network National Rural Network (NRN) Bureau of Rural Network Rural Economy Research Centre Department of Analyses of Agricultural Sector (FADN) Bureau of Fisheries Network Estonian National Rural Network • Estonian Rural Network Unit was established by the Rural Economy Research Centre (an authority under the administration of the Ministry of Agriculture) and started its activities in May 2007. • The main objective of the Estonian National Rural Network is to add value to the implementation of the Estonian Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 (RDP). Structure of Estonian Rural Network • Estonian Rural Network Unit – no formal membership, at the moment 7 full time employee • Network Cooperation Chamber – involves associations and organizations representing programme beneficiaries and organizations and authorities engaged in rural development. The members are selected according to the objectives of the axes of the Rural Development Plan • Budget – for the period 2007-2013 max. 4,480,000 € from RDP technical assistant NRN in next period • Infomation source for CSF partners about LEADER-method and best practices; • Information and assitance for new stakeholders, LAG-s and regions; • Support for monitoring; • Assistance for inter-territorial and transnational co-operation. The actual roles of NRN • More non-formal position than MA or PA-s. • Trustful partner for stakeholders • Communicates with stakeholders in more understandable language • Possibility to be active internationally • NRN = LEADER; 7 LEADER principles are important also to NRN • Can initiate new (innovative) actions … NRN tools: • • • • • • Trustful information Flexibility in actions Possibility to initiate new actions …. RESOURSES Very important that NRN will keep these operation principles and tools also for next period NRN and LEADER in 2007-2013 • NRN brings parts together, • Keep dialogue between parts ongoing LAG MA PA NRN 2014-2020 • NRN will bring more parts together • keep dialogue continued • Look and spread information for and about new CSF parts LAG MA CSF Funds PA ? ? Estonian NRN Activities Website of Leader • Mainly 3 bigger target groups: 1) 26 Local Action Groups (RDP Axis 4) 2) wider rural development (RDP Axis 1-3) 3) authorities related with implementing RDP (Axis 1-4) • Keywords: – Step by step widening the target group (axis 1-3) – consideration of bottom-up initiative and cooperation Website of CAP future issues NRN collects, stores and disseminates Databases on NRN website: - RDP 2007-2013 project examples database, also in English - Articles of weekly e-newsletter Võrgukiri are archived in database, so the articles are available by themes and subthemes - Information about all Estonian RDP measures are collected in the database – it is like a history of measures (beneficiaries, regulations etc) and all articles about project examples can be found from the database through keywords - Database of Estonian LAGs (also in English) with interactive map and all articles about specific LAG can be found from the database through keywords • Database of Leader transnational cooperation offers Cooperation with Estonian Public Broadcasting • Started 2008, continued 2010 and 2011. • Summer 2011: – TV show “Estonian Game” (Eesti mäng) where NRN helped to search participants from LAGs, helped to find questions (incl. video-questions) and gifts (through LAGs) – 30 videoclips about different Leader projects from all over the Estonia, each of them are 7-10 minutes long and will be on air during autumn in every Saturday and Sunday at 18.20 in broadcasting named “Beautiful country” (Ilus maa). – All the videos will also be available on the NRN website through YouTube. TV show “Estonian Game” and video clips “Beatiful Country” The Best Leader projects in 2011 “Notice Leader” • 31.03-30.04.2011 A project proposals call was opened – everybody was allowed to make proposals • 14.-16.04 – NRN disseminated leaflets about the contest in Rural Fair • All together 64 project proposals in 5 categories (agriculture, rural entrepreneurship, environment, youth, cooperation) • Lessons learnt: a new category for development projects is also needed The Best Leader projects in 2011 “Notice Leader” The Best Leader projects in 2011 “Notice Leader” Brochure with all 20 nominees Prize Thank you for your attention! Estonian Rural Network [email protected] www.maainfo.ee