• ELARD stands for uniting rural development policies

All of the Local Action Groups in ELARD follow the LEADER method.  However, many Local Action Groups are not funded by the LEADER Community Initiative alone; more now manage a wide range of rural programmes.

In countries such as Ireland, Finland, Spain, Portugal and Greece, these Local Action Groups cover nearly all rural areas and are gradually becoming a much needed one-stop shop for delivering many policies to rural citizens.

ELARD believes that every rural area should have a Local Action Group to service its needs. They are also an ideal tool for coordinating more policies in both the Rural Development Regulation and Social Cohesion, Competitiveness and Sustainability Policies.

• ELARD stands for uniting people and building partnerships

More important than joining up the policies - is joining up the people whose lives they affect. The LEADER method is unique among EU policies in applying the 50% rule that at least half of the Local Action Group members must be from the local community.

Sitting on the board of a typical Local Action Group will be the representatives of farmers, environmental organisations, women, young people, private firms, State Agencies and elected local authority members. Through the Local Action Group Structure 1,000's of local people have an active role in the development of their rural area.

ELARD believes that the LEADER method can deepen the engagement of all local stakeholders.

• ELARD stands for the rural areas that are competitive, sustainable and socially cohesive.

Across Europe, thousands of Local Action Groups are showing that this can be done - with the right approach. This means taking a far broader approach to competition and innovation. It means finding new ways of mobilising the unique human, social, economic, cultural and environmental potential of each area.

The European evaluation of LEADER II shows that Local Action Groups have created or maintained over 100,000 jobs at a lower cost than other programmes; they successfully levered in more private investment and tapped more voluntary labour; they have sparked off more innovation and have created a new sense of optimism around both the identity and image of rural areas.

ELARD believes that the LEADER Method is an ideal tool for ensuring that rural areas bring out their full potential and maximise their contribution to the Lisbon agenda for the benefit of all EU citizens.