European LEADER Association for Rural Development
Budget
€50 — €0
EP Access
0
accredited persons
Staff
9
1.85 FTE
EU Grants
€341,859
Mission & Goals
The European LEADER Association for Rural Development (ELARD) is an international non-profit making association (aisbl) set up to improve the quality of life in rural areas and to maintain their population through sustainable, integrated local development. In doing so ELARD campaigns to spread the philosophy of the LEADER method both at a local grassroots and at an institutional level. ELARD is currently working on expanding its membership base even further, especially among the new Member States and the pre-accession countries in an effort to create a culturally and nationally diverse front united by the common goal of a sustainable and viable rural Europe. The association is committed to involving all stakeholders in local rural development. ELARD supports its members directly in their efforts to carry out innovative work in the field of rural development and to network with each other in order to cooperate and disseminate good LEADER practices and know-how.
EU Legislative Interests
Common Agriculture Policy; Rural development policy, regional development policy, particularly LEADER approach and Community-led Local Development (CLLD)
Communication Activities
- ERP 2025 Declaration: https://elard.eu/2025-declaration-of-inverurie/ - 6th Gathering of European Rural Parliament, 21-23.10.2025, Inverurie, Scotland https://europeanruralparliament.com/ - MFF 2028-34 - press release; 10/09/2025- https://elard.eu/elard-calls-on-the-european-commission-to-safeguard-leader-clld-in-the-2028-2034-mff/ - LEADER recognised, but not guaranteed: ELARD reacts to new EU budget proposal, 17/07/2025 - https://elard.eu/leader-recognised-but-not-guaranteed-elard-reacts-to-new-eu-budget-proposal/ - Contributions to 'EU Strategy for generational renewal in agriculture',July 2025;https://elard.eu/eu-strategy-for-generational-renewal-in-agriculture/ - Brochure: Webinar - Culture & Well-being in Rural Communities; March 2025; https://elard.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Brochure-Webinar-Culture-Well-being-in-Rural-Communities-1.pdf - Petition and campaign; 'A stronger future for rural Europe' - https://elard.eu/a-stronger-future-for-rural-europe_landing/ - European LEADER Congress, October 2024 - Poitiers/France; https://elard.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2024-European-LEADER-CONGRESS.pdf - ELARD’s resolution LEADER and CLLD within European policies; https://elard.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/The-Brussels-Declaration_v6.pdf - European LEADER Congress December 2023, Brussels/Belguim 2023; - High-level Rural Policy Forum “Shaping the future of rural areas” September 2022, Sigüenza, Spain https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/whats-new/newsroom/25-09-2023-high-level-rural-policy-forum-shaping-the-future-of-rural-areas-takes-place-on-27-29-september-in-siguenza-spain_en - Rural Pact Conference, May 2022, Uppsala, Sweden / https://rural-vision.europa.eu/events/rural-pact-conference-sweden-2023-05-03_en - 5th Gathering of European Rural Parliament; September 2022; Kielce, Poland; http://erp2022.eu/ - Contribution of European rural areas to the European Commission´s 8th Cohesion Report: http://elard.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Contribution-8th-report.pdf - Halmstad Declaration: http://elard.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Halmstad-Declaration-english.pdf - Survey and webinar on LEADER/CLLD Added Value: http://elard.eu/leader-clld/added-value/ - Leaflet: Good practice using LEADER/CLLD as a multilevel governance tool (October 2020) http://elard.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Good-practice-using-LEADER-as-a-multilevel-governance-tool.pdf - Survey report: "What future do you want in rural areas" 2020 - Reporthttp://elard.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/ELARD_REDR_Report.pdf - Position paper: The voice of rural Europe for the future of Europe (2020). On 9th of May 2020; http://elard.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/The-voice-of-rural-europe_final.pdf - Workshop “Community-led Local Development (CLLD) – How s it work?”, organised in the 14th European Week of Regions and Cities 2016, Brussels - Tartu Conference 2016, Estonia (November 2016), 140 participants from 25 European Countries; - SPARCE - Strengthening Participation Among Rural Citizens in Europe 2016-2017, Supported by Europe for Citizen program - Including the 3rd ERP in Venhorst - Workshop Communities as change agents: Local development in the EU beyond 2020 (https://cor.europa.eu/EURegionsWeek2017/Pages/10B39-636435138366615589.aspx), 15th - European Week of Regions and Cities 2017, Brussels - ELARD Surveys on LEADER/CLLD: ELARD survey: Integrated rural development and LEADER/CLLD, 2017; ELARD short survey on CLLD multi-funds implementation, 2017 - Strengthening Rural Development Models in Georgia – in partnership with Mercy Corps, supported by ENPARD program; October 2017 – October 2019;
Interests Represented
Promotes their own interests or the collective interests of their members
Member Of
Co-initiator of European Rural Parliament - https://europeanruralparliament.com/
Organisation Members
http://www.elard.eu/organization/members Austria LEADER-Forum Austria Belgium Organization LEADER Netwerk Vlaanderen Bulgaria Association Bulgarian National LEADER Network Croatia Croatian Rural Development Network & LEADER Network Croatia Czechia National Network of Local Action Groups of the Czech Republic Denmark The Danish LAGs part of Landdistrikternes Fællesråd Estonia Estonian LEADER union Finland Finnish Village Movement Association, Suomen kylätoiminta ry, SYTY France Association Leader France Georgia Georgian Association of Local Action Groups Germany Association LEADER Germany Greece Greek Leader Network Hungary Hungarian National Rural Network & Alliance of Hungarian LEADER Associations Ireland Irish Local Development Network Italy The Leader Network Basilicata Kosovo Network of Organziations for Rural Development of Kosovo (NORDK) Latvia Latvian Rural Forum Lithuania Lithuanian Rural Communities Union Luxembourg NRN Luxembourg – Ministry of Agriculture, Viticulture and Rural Development Moldova National LEADER Network in the Republic of Moldova Netherlands LEADER Netwerk Nederland North Macedonia Rural Development Network of the Republic of North Macedonia Poland Polish LEADER Network Portugal Minha Terra Network, Portuguese Federation of Local Development Associations Romania National Federation of Local Action Groups from Romania; Romanian LEADER Federation Serbia Network of Local Action Groups of Serbia Slovakia National Network of Slovak LAGs Slovenia Slovenian Rural Development Network Spain Spanish Network for Rural Development Sweden Local Development Sweden, Lokal Utveckling Sverige, LUS
Commissioner Meetings
No recorded meetings with EU commissioners.