The Finnish presidency of ELARD

syty

The Village Action Association of Finland (in Finnish: Suomen Kylätoiminta ry or SYTY) promotes and develops village action and locally initiated rural development on the national level. The Village Action Association of Finland is an umbrella organisation for regional actors in rural development. Residents' Associations, village coalitions, LAGs and national central organisations are members of the Village Action Association. At the end of 2006 the Association had 131 member organisations.

In 2000-2006 the Village Action Association and the Swedish Study Center provided the services of the LAG Network Unit of Finland. Finland has 58 LAGs implementing the LEADER+programme, the Regional Rural Development Programme (ALMA and ELMA), the Objective 1 programme, and the national programme for local initiative POMO+. The LAG Network Unit  is responsible for the co-operation between LAG groups, officials and authorities.


Since January 2011, the Village Action Association of Finland has been holding the presidency of ELARD.

Based on the efficient contribution to rural development cooperation among all LAGs at national level and the excellent cooperation with the Finnish Rural Policy Committee a business plan was introduced and financed in order to develop European networking on the basis of ELARD's evolution.

Strategic guidelines of ELARD's Presidency are to induce a stronger organisational basis and boost even more European collaboration of Networks with particular focus on providing the necessary help and support - approaches, development philosophy, broad policy ideas, new technologies or management techniques - to the new enlargement countries on rural development implementation programmes.

More specifically, the aims of the Finnish Presidency of ELARD set for the period 2011-2012 are:

  • Strengthening the LEADER method. Dissemination of the methodology to new policy fields following the model of the European Fisheries Fund. The target policy fields are regional, urban, environmental, employment and development policies. Support the adoption of the model in rural and fishery policies, especially in the new member countries (i.e. capacity building);

  • Development of the operational environment of LEADER. According to the feedback of the LAGs, the mainstreaming of LEADER in order for it  to be a part of the European Agricultural fund for Rural development (EAFRD) has not been totally successful. The Finnish Presidency aims to restore the specific characteristics and the flexibility of LEADER

 

  • Expansion of ELARD's membership base. There are 11 EU countries that are not yet members of ELARD. The wish of the Commission is to make ELARD the spokesman of "the rest of the rural areas and regional development" together with sectorial lobbies. The Finnish Presidency will work towards such goal by gradually increasing ELARD' membership base

 

  • Establishment of close contacts with LEADER actors. Cooperation with other LEADER actors (i.e. the 200 Fisheries Local Action Groups of EU), with sectorial organisations of rural development, with the European Network for Rural Development (ENRD) and with rural researchers is to be made closer

 

  • Promotion of the international cooperation of the LEADER actors. According to the Commission, an alarmingly small number of international LEADER projects have been launched by the mid term of the programming period. International LEADER networking events will be organised with the member organisations

 

  • Production of a high quality final report on the Finnish presidency. The actions and objectives gained will be documented in a final report written from a self-evaluation point of view. The English language report will clarify the operational concept of ELARD and smoothen the presidency handover after the two years term