ELARD aisbl

27/08/2026

🌱 REROOTED project kick-off in Denmark

The REROOTED partners came together for the project kick-off in Copenhagen and Lolland, Denmark, to get to know each other, gain an overview of the project and its activities, and meet the frontrunner rural communities that will play a central role in REROOTED.

The programme combined discussions at the University of Copenhagen with a field visit to Lolland, offering a practical look at a rural area going through major changes. The visit included the international school and examples of major municipal investments in housing and village development. Participants also visited the Fehmarn Belt construction site, which is already creating jobs and will significantly influence Lolland’s future position between Scandinavia and continental Europe.

⭐️Over the coming years, REROOTED will explore how demographic change affects rural areas across Europe and develop solutions that help rural communities adapt to these changes and create new opportunities.

As a REROOTED partner, ELARD will help connect the project with rural communities and stakeholders across Europe. Through its extensive network of LAGs, ELARD will support the exchange and wider uptake of project results and help bring REROOTED experiences and solutions into the wider European rural development community.

A great start to the collaboration ahead! 🌱

25/08/2026

Comparison of the Council, Parliament and Commission's proposals for LEADER-CLLD

The negotiations will shape the next 7 years of rural development in Europe. Our new analysis compares the Commission, Council & Parliament’s proposals on and highlights what’s at stake for LAGs.

✅ Parliament’s progress: 5% ring-fencing for LEADER, broader beneficiary scope, financial incentives. ⚠️ Gaps to fix: No rural target, unclear CLLD-LEADER relationship, LAG autonomy at risk.

LAG managers & national reps: Use this to advocate for stronger LEADER-CLLD in your country! 📢

📄 Read our summary here: https://lnkd.in/eu9mGZpd
📄 Read the full analysis here: https://lnkd.in/eGZBDDSk



https://elard.eu/elards-analysis-of-leader-clld-proposals-in-the-2028-2034-framework-whats-at-stake-for-lags/

The 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) negotiations are a pivotal moment for LEADER-CLLD and the future of LAGs across Europe. As the European Commission, Council, and Parliament shape the next programming period, ELARD has analysed the proposals on the table, and the stakes couldn’...

19/08/2026

👩‍🌾 Project Insights: Equality & demography

Looking for ideas and practical resources on women-led innovation in rural areas?

The Equality & Demography section of the ELARD Knowledge Hub's Project Insights brings together research, practical guidance and good practices from the FLIARA Project. The insights are designed for LAGs and other rural development stakeholders, covering topics such as female-led innovation, gender equality, entrepreneurship, supportive policies and inclusive rural development.

👉 Explore the Equality & Demography Project Insights. Link in the comments.

12/08/2026

🤝 Project Insights: Community development

Looking for practical tools to support community-led rural development?

The Community Development section of the ELARD Knowledge Hub's Project Insights brings together tools, studies and good practices from the Communities 4 Local Green Deal and RUSTIK projects. The insights are designed for LAGs and other rural development stakeholders, covering topics such as participatory governance, Living Labs, rural data, local cooperation and community-led approaches.

Explore the Community Development Project Insights. Link in the comments.👇

06/08/2026

🌿 Project Insights: Ecology & sustainability

Looking for ideas and practical resources on digital forestry and ecosystem services?

The Ecology & Sustainability section of the ELARD Knowledge Hub's Project Insights brings together tools, studies and good practices from the Digimedfor project. The insights are designed for LAGs and other rural development stakeholders, covering topics such as digital forestry, ecosystem service assessment, forest monitoring and data-driven decision-making.

👉 Explore the Ecology & Sustainability Project Insights. Link in the comments.

03/08/2026

Last week’s EC4RURAL - LIFE Programme's first "Practitioner Chat" brought together participants from 5 EU projects to share their tools and experience in engaging municipalities and local stakeholders in the energy transition.

From EC4RURAL’s pilots in Galicia and Estonia, we saw how municipal collaboration and public-private partnerships unlock Renewable Energy Communities (RECs), but only when local institutional leadership and pre-existing social fabric are in place. hashtag played a key role here, acting as the intermediate infrastructure to bridge gaps in financing, regulation, and community trust.

But challenges remain: regulatory hurdles (Estonia’s market rules clash with EU REC models), grid limitations, and financing barriers can stall progress. The solution? Bankable, ready-made projects for municipalities to adopt, and toolkits like Project’s (built from INTERREG best practices) to guide local action, or the 10 CET steps from the Project.

Our takeaway for LAGs:
✅ You’re the glue. Your role in aligning local needs with EU tools (and translating "jargon" into action) is irreplaceable.
✅ Trust > speed. Start with the community, not the plan.
✅ Synergies win. Whether it’s EC4RURAL’s pilot lessons or LOGREENER’s free toolkit, collaboration across projects amplifies impact.

Missed the chat? Let’s keep the conversation going, stay tuned for our next webinars, and browse the EC4RURAL training platform!

https://ec4rural.uvigo.gal/training/

28/07/2026

⚡ Project Insights: Driving energy innovation

Looking for ideas and practical resources to support the energy transition in rural areas?

The Energy section of the ELARD Knowledge Hub's Project Insights brings together studies, tools and good practices from the EC4RURAL - LIFE Programme, RENOVERTY and RECAH projects. The insights are designed for LAGs and other rural development stakeholders, covering topics such as rural energy communities, energy renovation, energy efficiency and tackling energy poverty.

👉 Explore the Energy Project insights. Link in the comments.

24/07/2026

🗞️ ELARD July newsletter is out!

Before the summer break, catch up on the latest updates from across rural Europe – from the next steps in the future of LEADER/CLLD and key policy developments to ELARD Knowledge Hub project results and upcoming opportunities for Local Action Groups and rural communities.

🌍 The newsletter is also available in multiple languages.

👉 See what’s been happening across the ELARD network.

Why? The European Commission’s Rural Target and mandatory LEADER approach in the CAP are steps forward, but without dedicated financial resources, their impact will fall short. The Parliament’s proposal of 5% CAP funding for LEADER is a start, yet it’s below the Rural Target’s potential, and...

22/07/2026

🌱Project Insights: Empowering Rural Youth

Looking for ideas and practical resources to support young people in rural areas?

The Youth section of the ELARD Knowledge Hub's Project Insights brings together studies, tools and good practices from the Cowork4Youth and RURBEST22 projects. Explore resources on youth employment, skills development and the LEADER Youth Community.

👉 Explore the Youth Project Insights. Link in the comments.

16/07/2026

🌟Interested in ELARD Knowledge Hub activities?

The ELARD Knowledge Hub brings together people, communities, LAGs, researchers and organisations working towards resilient and vibrant rural areas.

Sign up to receive targeted updates and stay connected with Hub activities >>> https://elard.eu/sign-up-for-elard-knowledge-hub-updates/