ministry of agriculture and forestry m m ainstreaming of leader+ and innovation – the finnish...

MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY

MMainstreaming of LEADER+ and Innovation – The finnish experience

ainstreaming of LEADER+ and Innovation – The finnish experience


LLocal Action Groups 2000-2006ocal Action Groups 2000-2006

LEADER method has been fully mainstreamed into 3 other programmes than just LEADER+ (the only excample of full mainstreaming in EU)

58 LAGs covering 419 municipalities out of 444 (centres of larger cities and a few small cities remain outside)

25 LEADER+ groups (LEADER+ Programme)

19,5 LAGs financed from Regional Rural Development Programme

6,5 LAGs financed from Objective 1 Programme

7 LAGs with POMO+ national financing


LLocal Action Groups 2000-2006ocal Action Groups 2000-2006

almost 5.000 projects have already sprung up

total number of projects will probably be around 7.000

during the entire functioning period approximately 220 million euros of public funding and 120 million euros of private funding will be used for projects established through LAG work


LLocal Action Groups in Finland

ocal Action Groups in Finland

LEADER+ -action groupLEADER+ -action group

POMO+ - action groupPOMO+ - action group

ALMA - action groupALMA - action group

Objective 1, Northern Finland Objective 1, Northern Finland - action group - action group

Objective 1, Eastern Finland Objective 1, Eastern Finland - action group- action group

Border of Objective 1 -Programme


LLEADER features in all LAGsEADER features in all LAGsarea-based approach

bottom-up approach

local partnership

innovation

multi-sectoral intergration

inter-territorial co-operation (incl. transnational co-operation)

networking

decentralised management and financing


7 municipalities / LAG area

41 000 inhabitants / LAG area

1,8 people working in a LAG

founding 6 Meuros (until 2006) / LAG

LLocal Action Group in Finland approximatelyocal Action Group in Finland approximately


Members in the board of the LAG:1/3 representatives of municipalities1/3 local associations and enterprises1/3 rural inhabitants

National public financing:Municipalities of the LAG area must cover 20 % of total public financing

National Network Unit financed nationally and serves all local action groups

CCommon features for all LAGs in Finlandommon features for all LAGs in Finland


local people, enterprises, farms and residents

Local Action GroupLocal Action GroupBoard

1/3 representatives of municipalities1/3 local associations and enterprises

1/3 rural inhabitants

ProjectProject

Project

munici-palities

ProjectProject

Project

staff


AAdministrative model dministrative model


FFinancing model inancing model

MUNICI-PALITIES

LOCAL ACTION GROUP LAG


NE

TW

OR

K U

NIT

municipal project funding

RURAL DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

CENTRE

PROJECT nprivate funding

National funding

project- and administrative funding (EU and State)

project funds (EU and State)

administrative funding (EU and State)

project- and administrative funding (municipalities)


strategic choice made at top policy level and translated down to lower ranks of the administration

necessary cross-coordination with other relevant authorities at horizontal level (Rural Policy Committee)

local people very interested in LEADER activities

regional broadening and deepening of LAG work was supported by national rural policy

HHow was the LAG work mainstreamed in Finland? How has the national rural policy been supporting LAG work?

ow was the LAG work mainstreamed in Finland? How has the national rural policy been supporting LAG work?


autumn 1995: writing of the 2nd Rural Policy Programme - drafters made a suggestion to distribute LEADER method nationally

the rural policy report presented by the Government to the Parliament included statement ”Local Action Group work should be broadened to cover all areas of Finland” 1996 and 1998

proposal was one of the most important issues in the Rural Policy Programme drafted by an expert committee appointed by the Government

DDescription of the process of mainstreaming LEADERescription of the process of mainstreaming LEADER


Rural Policy Committee (YTR) had political backing for trying to find national funding for new LAGs -> acchieved -> funding from Agricultural Development Fund for POMO groups (guidelines 1997)

22 LEADERII and 26 POMO LAGs working 1997-1999, planning of the future

LEADER+ became only a bit bigger for 2000 - 2006 -> needed other funding for the good work to be mainstreamed

autumn 2000 (after Finland sent the L+ programme to the Commission) General Secretary of the Rural Policy Committee started negotiating with 12 regions about funding for LAG work



the negotiating position was strengthened by the situation where the final selection of LEADER+ groups was not yet completed

General Secretary presented the issue for the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry -> funding for 26 LAGs in either ALMA or Objective 1

Process involved a big risk that regions would start lobbying to get more LEADER+ groups - list of L+ LAGs held until the end

7 LAGs was still out of funding and the Ministry wanted to use Agricultural Development Fund specifically for agricultural funding



LAGs took their concerns to the members of the Parliament -> question to the Government ”How will the Government act to enable all areas to be covered under the LAG work, as was promised in defenitions of the policy?”

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry had to consent, since the Agricultural Development Fund was the only possibility for funding seven LAGs

whole country became covered with LAGs for 2000 - 2006

idea of mainstreaming autumn 1995 - goals attchieved autumn 2002



Cross-administratorial rural policy need an organ, which constantly develops the rural policy system as a network in central administration as well as the regional and local levels

Risks have to be taken to achieve results

Although the main direction and power of LAG work moves upwards, the crucial beginnings must be brought about from a higher level downwards

WWhat can we learn from this?hat can we learn from this?


Rural policy needs contact persons who will watch the progress of whole projects, preferably on all levels of action

Activities must be considered and planned sufficiently long into the future, for example the negotiations carried out at the turn of 2000 and 2001 were aimed for both the periods 2000-2006 and 2007-2013

LAG work functions well for local people and is close to them

WWhat can we learn from this?hat can we learn from this?


LAGs are essential part of Finland´s entire rural policy

LAG work will continue during the period 2007-2013 in the entire Finland

An increase in the amount of social tasks for the groups has taken place of regional mainstreaming

Goal for LAG work is to remain stable and grow stronger in the whole country

WWhat does the future look like in Finland?hat does the future look like in Finland?


innovation of the Rural Policy Committee in the mainstreaming

someone has to make moves in getting new ways of doing spread -> this will not happen just bottom-up, you need also top-down

LAGs have to start new processes and ways of doing also by themselves

innovation can be just something slightly different from the old and can still have strong influences

IInnovation in the rural development programmesnnovation in the rural development programmes


tripartition in the boards of finnish LAGs has been innovative and is really important, as it keeps the work of the group on the wide base

there has to be rules of administration and they have to be controlled and secured (Work Group for the LAGs in Finland, under Rural Policy Committee)

IInnovation in the rural development programmesnnovation in the rural development programmes


there should not be strict rules for appropriate funding and eligibility for experimentation and innovation or strict requirements for innovation

when people get freedom for innovating and the financing bodies use consideration and take some risks, the activity and development potential will rise

result: local people stay very interested in developing their rural areas

IInnovation requirements in the rural development programmesnnovation requirements in the rural development programmes


MMore information about LAG work and Rural Policy in Finland ore information about LAG work and Rural Policy in Finland

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, www.mmm.fi Mainstreaming, Mr. Eero Uusitalo, [email protected]

Rural Policy Committee, www.maaseutupolitiikka.fiSecretary-General, Rural Counsellor Mr Eero Uusitalo, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Mobile +358-40-541 9916, [email protected] Secretary-General, Senior Officer Mr Risto Matti Niemi, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Mobile +358- 50-599 5229, [email protected] of the Project Group, Senior Officer Mrs Johanna Heikkilä, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Tel. +358-9-160 52506, [email protected] Secretary, Senior Officer Mrs Marjatta Koskinen, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Tel. +358- 9-160 53348, [email protected], Departmental Secretary Mrs Maarit Skogberg, Ministry of the Interior, Tel. +358-9-160 44592, [email protected]

Rural Development Expert Mrs Tytti Siltanen, Mobile +358- 50-597 5551, [email protected]

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, www.mmm.fi Mainstreaming, Mr. Eero Uusitalo, [email protected]

Rural Policy Committee, www.maaseutupolitiikka.fiSecretary-General, Rural Counsellor Mr Eero Uusitalo, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Mobile +358-40-541 9916, [email protected] Secretary-General, Senior Officer Mr Risto Matti Niemi, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Mobile +358- 50-599 5229, [email protected] of the Project Group, Senior Officer Mrs Johanna Heikkilä, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Tel. +358-9-160 52506, [email protected] Secretary, Senior Officer Mrs Marjatta Koskinen, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Tel. +358- 9-160 53348, [email protected], Departmental Secretary Mrs Maarit Skogberg, Ministry of the Interior, Tel. +358-9-160 44592, [email protected]

Rural Development Expert Mrs Tytti Siltanen, Mobile +358- 50-597 5551, [email protected]

ministry of agriculture and forestry m m ainstreaming of leader+ and innovation – the finnish...

Documents