Leader+ Steering Committee Meeting 12 March 2008, Brussels / Belgium

1. European Commission Leader+ Steering Committee Meeting12 March 2008, Brussels / Belgium Capitalisation of cooperation experience László Simon Hungary

2. Rural trends in Hungary • Missing communities in rural areas • High expectations towards governmental bodies • Lack of local innovation • Projects without wide social basis • Lack of decentralized decision-making • Missing local, regional and national development networks • The idea of cooperation is not popular

3. LEADER+ in Hungary • 186 applicant LAGs: 2332 villages, 3.5 mn people • 70 selected LAGs • 960 settlements • 1.6 million inhabitants • EUR 25 million total funding • 2,600 selectedlocal projects • Implementationuntil 2008

4. Cooperation: Tasks • Introduction, enhancement • Events • Partner search • Best practice • Consultancy • Study tours • Project development • Preparation of bilateral cooperation agreements

5. Introduction of international experience on national conferences • Presentations, lectures and consultancy • Conferences and seminars • LEADER Centre events • Other events • International conferencesin Hungary and abroad • 46 foreign lecturers (international rural development experts) in all national LEADER seminars and conferences • Signing a Memorandum by the Commissioner and the Minister

6. Joint Initiatives for the Hungarian Countryside • To start discussion between rural actors • Seek and create LEADER-based cooperation opportunities, elaborate cooperation ideas and projects (rural areas in Hungary and abroad) • Share national and international LEADER and other rural development experience, examples and good practices • Projects ideas: rural tourism, local products, renewable energies, equal opportunities • Thematic discussions: human resource conditions, communication, young people in rural development

7. Tisza project • The river Tisza is a source of values and identity as well • Cooperating Local Action Groups along the river • Tourism development in unutilised areas • Building new harbours, introducing cultural values • Infrastructure development, education and marketing • Regional cooperation • Complex packages

8. Oxenweg • A traditional grey-cattle transportation route through Hungary, Austria and Germany • International partnership, preservation of cultural and gastronomic values and traditions • Establishing hiking routes along the traditional route for normal tourists or with horses, bicycle and car • Tourism packages • Regional values

9. Hungarian Rural Tourism Days • Supported by the Ministry, organized by the LEADER Centre • Aiming at promoting cooperation of micro-regional actors (local civil organizations, entrepreneurs, municipalities) to make use of rural tourism opportunities • 52 LAGs, 340 settlements, ca. 900 service-providers and ca. 1,400 services offered with a discount of 30 to 100% • Media campaign: national, regional, local publications • Website with all information: www.hazajaro.hu

10. Experience sharing • Poland • Representatives of Managing Authority, Paying Agency, LAGs • Visit to Hungary: National institutions, LAGs • Study tours • Güssing, the bio town: Renewable energies • Scotland: Young participants, youth projects • Wales: The operation of LEADER in practice • Brussels: Parliament and European institutions • Visitors from many EU and non-EU countries

11. Bilateral relations:Romania • 1st Hungarian-Romanian LEADER Conference (Nagyvárad) • Visit of 45 young Romanians in Hungary (to collect new experience) • LEADER road show in Romania: 11 locations, about 400 participants • Mentoring Programme • Networking • Get more experience • Targeted programmes and events

12. Bilateral relations:Croatia • Croatian-French-Hungarian cooperation to establish a pilot LAG in the island of Brac • On-the-spot analysis, plenary session, teamwork • To learn about the area and involve local actors • Detailed introductory study, strategic planning • Experiencing a NMS • Croatian study tour in Hungary

13. Balkan Tour: Skopje, Bosnian group • Skopje: LEADER seminar for Balkan countries • Preparation for LEADER, networking • Bosnian group: A 10-day study tour • To visit LAGs and business development centres to learn about Hungarian LEADER experience, role in national rural development strategy, three LAGs, municipal programmes, business development, agriculture and tourism development

14. Cooperation in the future • Green Paper • Based on the experience of the Hungarian NNU • Wide social discussion on the future of LEADER • Covering the whole country with LAGs and LEADER-like communities • LAGs prepare strategy and select projects for Axes 3 and 4 • EUR 8 to 10 million per LAG • Cooperation • Separate budget, National Rural Network to support international cooperation • Strategy writing February - June 2008 • Starting LEADER and opening cooperation opportunities: August 2008

15. LEADER Centre: Work in figures Events in Hungary once in every 5 days International events 16 Newsletter 14 Magazine 60 On-the-spot consultancy for LAGs 4 International partner search 5 Working on the spot in the country 2

16. European Commission Thank you for your kind attentionContact details:László Simon, Director of Central Development Programme Office, National Development Agencysimon.laszlo@meh.huIstván Már, Responsible for LEADER cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Developmentimar@vkszi.hu