Operational Groups: first experiences

After several years of preparation for implementation of the EIP-AGRI via national and regional rural development programmes (RDPs), over 70 Operational Groups (OGs) are now established and running projects that aim to make the best use of different types of knowledge to tackle the real needs of farmers and foresters.

On 20-21 April 2016, DG AGRI organised a two-day workshop in the town of Legnaro in northern Italy to explore the practical experiences of these first Operational Groups.  “The concept of EIP-AGRI Operational Groups is new and as the practical experiences of OGs begin to accumulate, we thought it was important to bring together already established OGs and relevant stakeholders to exchange experiences and learn from each other”, explained Rob Peters from DG Agriculture and Rural Development in his opening words to the meeting. 

The workshop was organised in cooperation with the Italian Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies, the Italian National Rural Network Programme, Veneto Region and the Veneto Agricoltura (the Regional Agency for Agriculture, Forestry and Agri-Food Sectors). A total of 102 participants from 23 countries enthusiastically discussed and shared their different experiences, including the lessons learnt from the various stages of bringing partners together around an idea, setting up an OG, preparing a project proposal and (after being approved) beginning project implementation.

“I’ve really have learnt a lot from this meeting”, commented one participant from a potential OG, “The presentation of practical experiences from OGs already selected in Austria, France and Germany was especially useful.  It’s obvious that we all face similar challenges in getting our Operational Groups up and running, but some good practices are emerging and I’ve a lot to discuss with my colleagues when I get home”.

An important theme running through many discussions was how the RDP Managing Authorities can build a supporting environment for the OGs to flourish in.  As Giorgio Trentin from the Managing Authority in Veneto Region explained, “It’s challenging, like building a house.  We have to work step-by-step and put everything in the right place at the right time.  This inevitably takes some time, but our goal is to ensure the long-term success of the EIP-AGRI with a clear focus on farmers as the key players in OG partnerships”.

To date, a total of 3,205 OGs are planned in 94 Member States / regions with the funding available under Measure 16 of the 2014-2020 rural development programmes. The implementation phase of the very first OG projects has just started and many more projects will follow in the coming months. It is anticipated that the conclusions and lessons learned from the workshop will help to facilitate the setting up of future OGs and the successful implementation of their projects. 

Click here for more information about the workshop, including all presentations and supporting documents.