ELARD consists of national, regional and local associations active in LEADER program in the following member states: France, Greece, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Portugal, Finland, United Kingdom, Hungary, Czech Republic, Latvia, Belgium,  Poland, Romania and Lithuania. Membership is also sought by the Swedish and Bulgarian networks. Furthermore, other Informal Networks have already expressed their interest to adhere once National LEADER Networks are established in their countries.

Members of ELARD are usually the voluntary National or Regional Networks of LAGs; however, individual LAGs are also admitted where national networks haven't been established.

The organisation is open to the representative networks of Local Action Groups and LEADER type organisations as well as any other entity that works in favor of the rural development of their territory and that shares the objectives of ELARD.