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Learn how the European Agriculture Fund for Rural Development has supported a start-up company specialising in outdoor sports activities. The Mid Ireland Adventure project was short-listed for the ENRD Rural Inspiration Awards of 2019.

Find more good practices on rural SMEs in the ENRD Project Database.

This ENRD seminar (Brussels, 3 July 2019) was an opportunity for participants to share practical experiences and discuss the opportunities offered by the current RDPs and potential of CAP Strategic Plans to support rural bioeconomy value chains.

Plenary sessions and working groups focused on different aspects related to the bioeconomy including: how to build a bio-based value chain, rural climate action through bio-based initiatives, building rural bioeconomies through Smart Villages, challenges to policy coherence, and regional approaches.

The participants discussed the recently published briefs on policy and tools for bioeconomy and recommendations on the use of RDPs and CAP Strategic Plans, developed by the ENRD Thematic Group on 'Mainstreaming the Bioeconomy'. 

A recent ENRD workshop (Brussels, 20 June 2019), highlighted practical examples of using Simplified Cost Options (SCOs) to simplify and improve implementation of Rural Development Programmes (RDPs).

Representatives coming from 20 EU Member States and the European Commission, shared knowledge and experience on how SCOs can be developed and introduced in RDPs in general, and with a specific focus also on their use in LEADER. Participants also discussed the main stages of a ‘roadmap’ for introducing an SCO – from recognising and mapping the relevant needs through developing calculation methodologies, consultations, and leading to its successful application.

Find more information and guidance on Simplified Cost Options (SCOs) in our ENRD Publications Library.

A wide range of CLLD stakeholders will gather in Brussels on 3-4 December 2019 for the 4^th joint CLLD event on ‘Post 2020: Local Action in a Changing World’.

Stakeholders are invited to share their knowledge and experience from across the ESI funds. There will also be an interactive exhibition of LEADER, FLAG and other CLLD projects. 

Some 50 places are available for LEADER LAGs. LAGs who would like to express an interest in attending this event should complete the online form available at this link.  This expression of interest process will run until Monday 19th August 2019, after which those LAGs selected will receive an official invitation from FARNET (this years’ organiser) to participate. 

Sign up for the European Conference on Farming for Biodiversity, organised by the European Commission, taking place on 17 October 2019. Registration closes on 20 August 2019!

The conference will focus on result-based payment schemes (RBPS) for biodiversity achievements in agriculture, showcasing findings of three pilot projects from Ireland/Spain, Romania and the UK. It aims to facilitate a discussion among a broad range of policy-makers and implementers at all levels.

Watch these inspiring ENRD videos featuring bioeconomy projects in the Netherlands and Sweden supported by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.

De Laarhoeve (NL) processes agricultural 'waste' from local farmers to turn it into new products to be sold by the farmers themselves. In Alvesta (SE), 12 farmers set up a biogas unit that processes manure and community waste into biofuel.

The videos are available with subtitles in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Polish on the ENRD Youtube channel.

The latest editions of the ENRD publications are now available online in English.

• The Rural Connections, Spring/Summer 2019 edition has a special focus on networX, the landmark event for rural development networking organised by the ENRD, and the first ever ENRD Rural Inspiration Awards.
• The EAFRD Projects Brochure on ‘Bioeconomy’ illustrates how the mainstreaming of the bioeconomy is being accelerated by RDPs across Europe.

Are you involved in a project providing access to high-speed broadband internet? Apply for the European Broadband Awards by 6 September 2019!

A wide range of projects – big or small, rural or urban, private or public, advanced in implementation or not, and covering all technologies – are eligible to apply.

Get inspired by last year’s winning projects, including two from the rural areas of Poland and France.

Following a first visit in 2017, a group of experts from the European LEADER Association for Rural Development (ELARD) undertook a new mission to China in May 2019.

During this visit, the EU Local Action Group (LAG) representatives learned about the reality of Chinese rural territories and shared their knowledge about the LEADER approach. The mission paves the way to establishing the first LAG in China.

Should the pilot phase be successful, the development of Chinese LAGs could offer interesting potential for cooperation with European LAGs in the future.

An updated version of the LEADER toolkit, now available on the ENRD website, provides information for both local actors and Managing Authorities.

The toolkit serves as a guidebook for beginners and a reference source and check list for more advanced users. It is ‘fit for purpose’ for the 2014-2020 programming period, containing the most recent updates in guidance and changes to the Regulations. The format presents five sections:

1. LEADER/CLLD explained,
2. Implementing LAGs and Local Strategies,
3. Working on the LEADER delivery system,
4. Improving communication across the CLLD delivery chain, and
5. LEADER Local Development Strategies.

A public consultation has been launched by the European Commission on the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) programme for 2021-2027. The deadline is 11 September 2019.

Stakeholder views on the priority areas for EU digital infrastructure investments will help address existing connectivity needs across Europe. The CEF funding programme is of fundamental importance for the Digital Single Market, supporting trans-European networks and infrastructures in the sectors of transport, telecommunications and energy.

Apply now to the Natura 2000 award recognising excellence in the management of Natura 2000 sites, which ensure the long-term survival of Europe's most valuable and threatened species and habitats. The application deadline is 30 September 2019.

The competition is organised in five categories: conservation; communication; socio-economic benefits; reconciling interests/perceptions; cross-border cooperation and networking. The winners will be recognised at an award ceremony in May 2020 in Brussels, Belgium.