Markus Hopfner

1
Implementation of LeaderNational institutional
organisationThe Austrian experience

• Markus Hopfner
• European Commission, Directorate General for
  Agriculture and Rural Development
• Vienna, 6 July 2006

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Key figures
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Federal structure of Austria
9 provinces

• Area ranging from 415 to 19.178 km²
• Population ranging from 276.000 to 1,6 Mio
• Legislative power partly on provincial level

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LEADER II (1994 1999) in Austria

• Accession to EU in 1995
• No pre-accession programmes
• Policy experience in regional development and
  agricultural structures, but not within aquis
  communautaire
• New EU-cofinanced programmes set up both on
  provincial and national level
• 8 LEADER II programmes on provinical level

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LEADER programme Austria 2000 2006

• 1 single programme
• Drawn up in co-operation of national and
  provincial level
• Managing Authority Federal Ministry of
  Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water
  Management
• Designation of Provincial Programme Units (PPU)
  as key players for programme implementation

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LEADER programme Austria 2000 2006

• Public funding 106,6 Mio EUR of which 76,83 Mio
  from EAGGF-Guidance
• 56 LAG selected for programme implementation

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LEADER programme Austria 2000 2006
Funding according to actions in Mio EUR
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Co-operating institutions - overview
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Programme management
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Financial management

• Paying Agency within Ministry of Agriculture,
  Forestry, Environment and Water Management
• Fully responsable for financial implementation
• Declares expenditure to the EAGGF
• PPU designated as intermediate bodies
• Pay EU contribution to the project promoter
• Declares expenditure to Paying Agency

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Project support - step by step 1/5
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Project support - step by step 2/5
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Project support - step by step 3/5
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Project support - step by step 4/5
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Project support - step by step 5/5
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Conclusions

• Lessons learnt from LEADER II (number of
  programmes)
• Programme management co-ordination work,
  especially in initial period
• Importance of having administrative units close
  to LAGs
• Well-fitting system in the Austrian context