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ENRD Newsletter
August 2018
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Project of the month
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Find out how an EAFRD project helped to improve services such as healthcare, banking, and shopping for the elderly in a small rural area in Finland by setting up a ‘digi-hub’ and advisory point in the village library.
Find more good practices for rural services in our Project Database.
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News
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LEADER/CLLD implementation: insights from LAGs
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Explore the insights of Local Action Groups (LAGs) from across Europe on LEADER/CLLD implementation, including use of the LEADER principles, operation and desired improvements for the future, in the ENRD LAG survey results report.
The survey results draw on LAGs’ implementation experiences and suggest how these can be improved. Selected findings include that the bottom-up approach is the most highly valued principle, staff spend most time supporting project development and would like to do more of this.
Many respondents perceive that their available time and resources for local animation and innovation support is constrained by administrative and reporting requirements. There is a common perspective that greater simplification and better coordination at all levels throughout the LEADER delivery system would improve implementation. There is a desire for higher levels of autonomy and responsibility, which many LAGs believe would positively influence achievement.
With 710 responses received from 27 EU Member States, this is the largest and most comprehensive LEADER survey ever conducted. See also highlights of key findings in the latest edition of the Rural Connections Magazine, pp. 12-13.
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On the path to ‘Smart Village’ strategies
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Responding to the growing interest in ‘Smart Villages’, the ENRD Contact Point is continuing its thematic work on the topic with the next meeting of the dedicated Thematic Group (TG) scheduled for 4 October 2018.
The TG’s work over the next 12 months will focus on collecting and developing practical orientations for using all the policy tools available to help ‘Smart Villages’ emerge and grow. Specifically, the TG will exchange on how to design strategies to effectively empower rural communities in different national contexts while continuously providing a platform for linking the various initiatives taking place.
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EAFRD Project Brochure language versions available
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The EAFRD Projects Brochure on ‘Resource-Efficient Rural Economies’ is now available in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Polish on the ENRD website.
This edition showcases examples of Rural Development Programme (RDP) projects supporting the sustainable use of natural resources, particularly water and soil. The brochure is part of the broader ENRD thematic work on ‘Resource Efficiency’.
For electronic and paper subscriptions to ENRD publications, please write to subscribe@enrd.eu.
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Examples of good local fisheries projects
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Browse through a collection of inspiring projects aimed at developing fisheries and aquaculture areas around Europe and supported by Fisheries Local Action Groups (FLAGs).
The database has been put together by the FARNET network support unit and includes project descriptions and short stories of FLAG-funded local projects, as well as methods illustrating effective programme management, ranging from community outreach to FLAG self-assessment.
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Simplifying EU funds
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An update of the EU’s financial rules governing the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF), including the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), was adopted by the European Council on 16 July 2018.
The so-called Omnibus Regulation introduces new Simplified Cost Options to increase their use and lead to a significant reduction of administrative burden for all actors involved in the implementation of the ESI Funds. For rural development, the update relates to the Common Provisions Regulation and complements a first round of simplifications of the Common Agricultural Policy, adopted in November 2017.
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Giving a voice to rural youth
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A vast majority of young people living in rural areas feel optimistic about their future despite the challenges of transport, access to services, employment and connectivity, according to the results of a survey carried out by the Scottish Rural Youth Project.
The project is working to address trends such as 13% of rural youth feeling they have a say in the future of their communities, as revealed by the survey results. This will include three pilot initiatives aimed at empowering rural youth, due to be launched in 2019.
The survey ran between January and June 2018 and collected the opinions of over 750 young people, aged 18-28, living or working in rural areas in the UK, Australia, Canada, Sweden and the USA.
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Rural networking in Georgia
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In preparation of the launch of a brand new Rural Development Network in Georgia, due in September 2018, a training event (26-27 July 2018 – Batumi, Georgia) explored the objectives, membership and thematic work of the European and other National Networks.
The new Georgian Network will work to support an effective implementation of the country’s Rural Development Strategy for 2017-2020 and an active stakeholder engagement, including of Georgia’s already existing Local Action Groups.
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Public procurement guidance for practitioners
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A European Commission Guidance document– now available in all EU languages – explains how to avoid errors in public procurement for projects co-financed by the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF), including the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD).
The document provides general recommendations and is intended to facilitate programme implementation and encourage good practice.
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Investing in Irish agricultural technology
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A new investment deal, supported under the Investment Plan for Europe, has secured € 118 million in long-term funding for the agri-tech company Devenish Nutrition and will facilitate its research, development and growth plan.
The investment will enable the establishment of a Global Innovation Centre in Ireland where the company will develop and showcase the research, development and innovation programme ‘One Health – from Soil to Society’.
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Boosting public goods from agriculture and forestry
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A new knowledge platform brings together smart and transferable solutions for the sustainable production of public goods from EU agriculture and forestry.
The platform was developed by the Horizon 2020 project PROVIDE and features case studies on a wide range of public goods, including landscape, biodiversity, water quality and availability, soil fertility, climate stability, food security, animal welfare and rural vitality.
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Enhancing farmer-to-farmer learning
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The Horizon 2020 project AgriDemo-F2F is working to enhance peer-to-peer learning within the commercial farming community by exploring effective on-farm demonstration activities utilising a multi-actor approach.
By mid-2019, the project will produce an inventory of good practices of open commercial farms that engage in demonstration activities, including sectors, themes and topics of expertise, and the mediation techniques applied.
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Events |
5 - 6 September 2018
Food 2030: Towards Sustainable Agri-food Systems, Stuttgart, Germany
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6 - 7 September 2018
Plant and Animal Genetic Resources, Nantes, France
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6 - 9 September 2018
Herbstmesse, Wels, Austria
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7 September 2018
Innov’Rural: Investments in Local Development, Saint-Ismier, France
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11 - 13 September 2018
International LEADER Excursion: LEADER in Vorarlberg, Vorarlberg, Austria
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12 - 13 September 2018
Rural Development and CLLD, Valmiera, Latvia
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13 September 2018
The Future of European Livestock, Brussels, Belgium
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17 September 2018
Regional Conference & Rural Prize 2018, Faaborg, Denmark
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17 - 18 September 2018
12th NRNs’ Meeting, Tallinn, Estonia
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18 - 19 September 2018
Forum for Local Development Practitioners, Entrepreneurs and Social Innovators, Porto, Portugal
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18 - 21 September 2018
EUROPARC 2018, Cairngorms National Park, Scotland, UK
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19 September 2018
RECAP Final Conference, Antwerp, Belgium
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20 September 2018
European Day of Sustainable Communities, Brussels, Belgium
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20 - 21 September 2018
Cooperation Projects and Rural Development, Kielce, Poland
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20 - 24 September 2018
Salone del Gusto 2018, Turin, Italy
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21 - 23 September 2018
Rural Film Festival, Omegna and Miasino, Italy
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21 - 23 September 2018
Rural Youth Event, Veckholm, Sweden
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24 - 27 September 2018
Summer School: Social Innovation Ecosystems, Budapest, Hungary
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25 - 27 September 2018
European Mountain Convention, Vatra Dornei, Romania
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26 September 2018
EU Circular Business Conference 2018, Brussels, Belgium
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26 September 2018
Mapping and Step Change in Connection with the Move Toward the European Gigabit Society Objectives, Brussels, Belgium
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26 - 28 September 2018
Smart Specialisation and Territorial Development, Seville, Spain
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26 - 28 September 2018
LEADER Reloaded, Evora, Portugal
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27 September 2018
Innovation in Rural Mobility, Riga, Latvia
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27 September 2018
Annual Conference of the European Broadband Competence Offices Network, Brussels, Belgium
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2 October 2018
European Funds in Rural Areas: Challenges and Outlook, Manosque, France
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3 - 4 October 2018
Trade Marks and Geographical Indications: Future Perspectives, Alicante, Spain
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3 - 5 October 2018
Rural Territories: Spaces of Creativity and Innovation, Lozère, France
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3 - 5 October 2018
European Congress on Rural Tourism 2018, Druskininkai, Lithuania
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4 October 2018
5th Meeting of ENRD Thematic Group on ‘Smart Villages', Brussels, Belgium
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5 October 2018
Innov’Rural: Investments in Local Development, St.-Amant-Tallende, France
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8 - 11 October 2018
European Week of Regions and Cities, Brussels, Belgium
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9 October 2018
1st Meeting of ENRD Thematic Group on 'Mainstreaming the Bioeconomy', Brussels, Belgium
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10 October 2018
Community-led Local Development (CLLD): EU Funding from the Bottom-up, Brussels, Belgium
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10 - 12 October 2018
Congress of European Farmers 2018, Linz, Austria
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10 - 11 October 2018
How to respond to the democratic challenge in rural areas?, Besançon, France
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11 - 12 October 2018
Inter-regional Forum on LEADER Cooperation, Rennes, France
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12 October 2018
From Farmer to Plate and Flower Vase, Assen, The Netherlands
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15 - 17 October 2018
ENRD Seminar on LEADER: Acting Locally in a Changing World, Rust, Austria
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16 - 17 October 2018
World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit, London, UK
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17 - 18 October 2018
EIP-AGRI Seminar: from Operational Group Project to Impact, Spoleto, Italy
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22 October 2018
Rural Networks’ Steering Group Meeting, Brussels, Belgium
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22 October 2018
European Commission Bioeconomy Conference, Brussels, Belgium
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23 October 2018
ENRD Seminar on ‘Key Steps for CAP Strategic Planning', Brussels, Belgium
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24 - 25 October 2018
Approaches to Assess Socio-economic and Sector-related RDP Impacts in 2019, Warsaw, Poland
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25 - 26 October 2018
Developments and Challenges in Implementing EAFRD in 2014-2020 and Beyond, Berlin, Germany
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26 October 2018
Rural LEADER Day, Hoogeveen, The Netherlands
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6 November 2018
Sustainable Rural Areas at the Forefront, Sweden
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6 November 2018
Global Future Farming Summit, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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7 - 9 November 2018
World Congress on Agri-tourism, Bozen, Bolzano, Italy
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14 - 16 November 2018
Scottish Rural Parliament 2018, Stranraer, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, UK
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27 November 2018
Agriculture & Food Summit, Paris, France
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3 - 14 December 2018
UN Climate Change Conference COP 24, Katowice, Poland
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4 - 7 December 2018
European Forests – Our Cultural Heritage, St. Georgen am Längsee, Carinthia, Austria
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6 - 7 December 2018
EU Agricultural Outlook Conference 2018, Brussels, Belgium
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11 December 2018
5th Rural Networks’ Assembly Meeting, Brussels, Belgium
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12 - 13 December 2018
Multi-level Strategies for Digitising Agriculture and Rural Areas, Antwerp, Belgium
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15 - 17 February 2019
Agri Travel and Slow Travel Expo, Bergamo, Italy
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10 - 13 September 2019
LINC Conference 2019, Pärnu, Estonia
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