Over 100 LEADER/CLLD practitioners exchanged ideas and practical experience on how to best demonstrate the relevance and added value – the ‘LEADERness’ – of the approach in varying thematic areas and beyond the local rural context during a recent ENRD Seminar (15-17 October 2018 – Rust, Austria).

A number of inspiring projects and approaches – highlighted during field trips, a ‘marketplace’ of Austrian Local Action Groups (LAGs), and short EU LAG presentations – emphasised the importance of “doing things the LEADER way” and showcased successful strategies for current and emerging local challenges and opportunities.

A broader discussion sought to identify priority actions to boost LEADER’s role and achievements within the 2014-2020 period and to identify success factors for the programming of LEADER in the future, post-2020 period.