LEADER in Hungary New Hungary Rural Development Program

LEADER in Hungary New Hungary Rural Development Program 2007 -2013 Rural Leaders Autumn Workshop „Adult Education for Rural Development – Inspirations from Europe” 08. 11. 2009 Starbienino, Poland Inspired Rural Development Dr. Pal Hajas (Euragro, Kozárd, Hungary)

Background Experience in „experimental” LEADER in Hungary Few selected areas in 2003: 16 RD Communities approved Small resources, few projects based on municipalities’ participation Poor LEADER identity 2004: Birth of the Hungarian LEADER Alliance, an NGO in RD. Inspired Rural Development

Background Experience in LEADER+ in Hungary Fast Preparation in 2005: 70 LAGs approved with high Government influence. In rush campaign, LEADER+ became part of the AVOP (Agricultural and Rural Development Operative Programme) … and lost it’s identity Good initiative with low level of professional freedom in Group formation, designing and planning. Inspired Rural Development

Background Experience in LEADER+ in Hungary Heavily centralized measures introduced in project tendering and application Extremely difficult, complicate and anti-LEADER style process in project implementation and long delayed payment to beneficiaries. Frustrated beneficiaries, disappointed coordinators Inspired Rural Development

Preparation New RD and LEADER cycle in Hungary: 20072013 Great enthousiasm for RD Community formation and double-triple expansion of networked communities and population RD and LEADER funds supposed to be 6 -10 times higher than the present LEADER Plus budget (3 -5 Million Euros/LAG) Hope in a democratic and professional planning process. Inspired Rural Development

Preparation New RD and LEADER cycle in Hungary: 20072013 The Government imposed a centralised RD Office Network above rural communities in 2007 The Government invented a software-based centralized planning process in 2007 The RD strategic planning is a buerocratic nightmare for rural and planners: forcefully imposed and inappropriate centralized database lead to wrong conclusions Inspired Rural Development

Preparation New RD and LEADER cycle in Hungary: 20072013 All 96 LAGs have been approved on 26 -09 -2009 Narrow avenue for local communities in strategic planning Axis III. Project application closed on 12. 01. 2009 Axis IV: Open since 1 October 2009 Super-centralized role of the Ministry and the Paying Agency - LAGs ha no or little autonomy Inspired Rural Development

Cserhatalja RD Community and LEADER LAG Nograd County North Hungary 60 -80 Km from Budapest

Cserhatalja LAG (Nonprofit Ltd. ) State of RD and LEADER planning in Kozard Area: The RD Community has been formed in December 2007 with 114 members: 25 villages and 1 small town, 35, 000 population (15 villages and 14, 500 population in LEADER+) Nearly equal 1/3 -1/3 share of public, private and civil stakeholders

Cserhatalja LAG Priorities and Measures: Foster local and regional economic development and improvement of local employment • Facilitate agriculture and rural industrial development, support services, environment and water management and support SMEs in technological improvement • Encourage local processing of food products • Support better use of natural resources, forestry, biomass utilisation and wildlife management • Support biodiversity and organic agriculture • Facilitate development of rural information systems

Cserhatalja LAG Priorities and Measures: Improve local livelihood and quality of rural life • Improvement of availability and access to basic rural services • Facilitate conditions for healthy lifestyle • Strengthen cohesion within and among rural communities and reinforce ties of young people to their rural living space • Preservation of local architectural and cultural heritage and promote rural art • Promote and further develop cultural, sport and outdoor recreational activities

Cserhatalja LAG Priorities and Measures: Human resource development and strengthening local social capital • Develop basic and technical knowledge for local population through formal and non-formal education • Promote sustainable forms of local community and subsectoral cooperations • Improve environmental sensitivity • Facilitate equal opportunity for underpriviledged groups

Cserhatalja LAG Priorities and Measures: Develop rural tourism, hospitality and associated services • Promote environment-friendly rural tourism forms, i. e. eco-tourism, green ways, and encourage development of innovative tourism products • Develop local and regional tourism information services and support better access of stakeholders to tourism marketing • Coordinate local and regional tourism activities and synchcronization with strategic development plans • Support development of cultural, gastronomy, wine and festival tourism

Cserhatalja LAG Priorities and Measures: Support development of regional marketing • Elaborate regional strengths and opportinities and create region’s image in order to achieve better regional identity • Undertake territorial, products and services marketing • Encourage investment to primary sectors (agriculture, fruit, dairy, meat, local industries and services, tourism, etc. )

Cserhatalja LAG Priorities and Measures: Facilitate inter-territorial and transnational cooperation • Promote public, private and civil societies participation in wider cooperation with communities within the country • Promote transnational cooperation in selected priority areas and exchage of experiences, goods and services • Facilitate access to good practices

Cserhatalja LAG Transnational Project Areas: Better use of natural resources in rural areas • Develop cooperation in innovative forest and wildlife management • Promote water harvesting projects • Develop new forms of eco-friendly tourism, sport and recreation activities • Develop project for Maria Spiritual Pilgrimage Trail • Develop biodiversity conservation projects in harmony with EU RD plans (Axis 2 in particular)

Cserhatalja LAG Transnational Project Areas: Promote local processing of food products • Diversify farmers household activities in promoting traditional food processing • Organize regional farmers product sales points • Develop local product exchanges among cooperating project partners • Better use of indigenous plants and rare breeds for local products in traditional gastronomy and rural tourism

Cserhatalja LAG Transnational Project Areas: Preparation of village development plans • Implement active and forward looking rural development programs through village development planning • Acquire guidance in VDP process from experienced LEADER communities of LEADER Plus period

Cserhatalja LAG Transnational Project Areas: Develop cultural routes for better protection of folklore and cultural heritage • Identify cultural routes for boosting regional tourism • Select sites for „Land Art” concept • Organize folklore events, cultural festivals for young people.

Cserhatalja LAG Transnational Project Areas: Agreed Trans-European Tourism Project: „Along Birds’ Routes” • Identify routes from North to South, like the migratory birds commute • Objective: connect people and boost regional tourism • Select sites for „ornitological” tourism • Organize folklore events, cultural festivals for young people. • Promote rural gastronomy and local product market

Cserhatalja LAG Transnational Project Areas: Agreed Trans-European Tourism Project: „Along Birds’ Routes” • Interested countries: Finland, Sweden, Netherlands, Poland, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Portugal • Possibility for 3 sub-projects: • North Europe to S-West Europe (Spain-Portugal) • North Europe to S-Europe (Slovenia-Italy) • North-Europe to S-East Europe (Bulgaria-Greece)

Cserhatalja LAG Regional LEADER Day and Transnational Project Meeting Date: 18 -19. 09. 2009 Venue: Kozard Apple Valley, Hungary Theme: Local Products, gastronomy and folklore show

2. European LEADER EXPO Trans-European LEADER Festival, Products, Tourism and Cultural Fair March 2010, Budapest Organized by: Hungarian LEADER Alliance ELARD Support: Ministry of Agriculture and RD, Hungary

Cserhatalja LAG Contact: Dr. Pal Hajas, Chairman Mr. Jozsef Kodak, Director Ms. Monika Tabori, Manager assistant Tel: +36 -30 -718 -0912, Fax: +36 -32 -491 -076 E-mail: info@cserhatalja. eu Web: www. cserhatalja. eu Thank you!