Leader Observatory Final Conference:

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Leader Observatory Final ConferenceLeader
achievements a diversity of territorial
experience22-23 November 2007Évora/Portugal
European Commission

• Italy Appennino Genovese

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Leader in Italy

• Creation of a National Rural Network

• MA Ministry for Agricultural, Food and Forestry
  Policy (MiPAAF)Network Unit INEA AGRICONSULTING

• 21 Regional Leader Programmes

• 21 Regional Managing Authorities (MA)

132 Local Action Group selected
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Introducing the panel

• Regione Liguria, Managing authority of Leader
  Regional Programme

• Mr. Riccardo Jannone

• Mrs Marisa Bacigalupo

• President of LAG Appenino Genovese

• Mrs Annalisa Cevasco

• LAG Manager

• Mrs Maria Collana

• Social Assistant Comunità Montana Alta Val Trebbia

• Mrs Michela Parodi

• Social Assistant Comunità Montana Alta Val Trebbia

Comunità Montana is a public sub regional body
which aggregates municipalities located in
mountainous or partially mountainous areas.
Main tasks of the CM consist of the valorisation
of the territory throughout the associated
implementation of a common action plan.
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Main positive results of Leader at territory
level
SUBTOPICS
KEY MESSAGE

• Status of Local Development Strategy

• Two main objectives stimulate economic
  development and strengthen social services

• Inclusive partnership and flexibility towards all
  different networks and actors inside and outside
  the territory. Strong linkage with urban areas

• Governance

• From the beginning strategy was built with the
  awareness that Leader was the method and the
  Leader plan was just a part of the whole
  territorial strategy.

• Territorial strategies

• Concrete Result

• Two Project
• Baby parking
• Chestnut road

• Networking and cooperation

• Networking should have worked outside its mission
  not only Leader
• Cooperation is innovative for rural territories
  but for the future more coordination is required
  among Member States

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Non Leader development process at territorial
level
SUBTOPICS
KEY MESSAGE

• Complementarity and consistency of development
  tools and methods used in the territory

• Managing Authority stimulate INTERREG access to
  LAGs
• With other tools LAGs carried out what Leader
  funds could not support
• a) WIFI broadband and telemedicine for hearth
  disease prevention
• b) support to traditional crafts

• Territory with and without Leader

• Leader helped to create consciousness on what to
  do LAG is the local agency which translates
  local communities needs into projects and
  supervise the project cycle

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Self evaluation of the territory achievements
SUBTOPICS
KEY MESSAGE

• Improvement of the governance

• Local communities and stakeholders have a better
  awareness of territory needs and tools and
  methods to face them.

• Improvement in competitiveness

• Social economic indicators show a slow down in
  depopulation trends and increase in business
  activities birthrates

• Improvement in sustainability

• The existing strong relationship between rural
  territory and local communities is by itself a
  great opportunity in order to promote
  sustainability.
• But financial resources available are too little
  to implement sustainable strategies in weak
  areas.

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Future of the territory
SUBTOPICS
KEY MESSAGE

• main risks that can be identified concerning the
  mainstreaming

• Competition among territories could penalize
  weakest areas
• Centralization of payments to beneficiaries can
  weaken the projects follow up up to now
  accomplished by LAGs

• main challenges for keeping the Leader method
  alive

• Definition of LDS selection criteria according to
  Leader philosophy

• key messages for future policy

• Enhance Leader legacy to the other EU funds as it
  has done for the EFF promoting a bottom up
  approach based on Leader philosophy for weakest
  areas

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CONCLUSIONS
Thanks for your attention