1. Examples and Challenges
LEADER in Germany
Examples and Challenges
BAG LAG - German LEADER Association Dr. Hartmut Berndt

2. Content
From 13 to 321 LEADER in Germany since 1991 and in the current period
Two LEADER-Projects from the LAG Göttinger Land - The Bioenergy-Villages - Friedland-Garden
The LEADER Reality LEADER in the EAFRD-Frame
The LEADER Characteristics Chances - Requirements - Perspectives
Conclusion

3. From 13 to 321 LEADER in Germany since 1991
Number of LAGs in Germany
Funding :
12 % of EAFRD ≈ Billion € (EU-Funding)

4. LEADER 2014–2020: Number of LAGs in the Federal States
EAFRD and LEADER – 2020 in Germany 21 14
13 Regional Development Programmes (RDPs)
13 very different regulations
e.g. LAG-Budget varies from 1.5 to 30 Mio. € / LAG
in some States LEADER covers the complete rural area 41 23 14 28 30 15 24 20
LEADER 2014–2020: Number of LAGs in the Federal States 4 18 68

5. LEADER-Project “Bioenergy-Villages”
The Concept
Waste Heat
≈ ca. 40%
Electricity
Village-Heat-Grid
Heat
Biomass
Generator
Engine
Heat-Facility Plant
Gas
Wood
Heat 5

6. LEADER-Project “Bioenergy-Villages”
The part of LEADER:
initiating the project
management and networking
financing:
subsidies for the feasibility studies: LEADER+
subsidies for investment: LEADER
Positive effects:
decreasing of fossil fuel consumption
generating local Income
rising the value of the houses in the village
strengthening self-confidence of the village people
Very high level of participation
Result: 4 more Bioenergy-villages 12 million € ≈430 houses connected

7. Transit Camp Friedland
Necessary requirement: high level of participation
The village of Friedland has a long history as a welcome point called “Gateway to Freedom” for more than 4 million people who came (back) to Germany:
Prisoners of war after 1945
German emigrants from Eastern Europe (Russia)
Refugees

8. No matter what age and nationality, everyone can participate in FriedlandGarten. Native inhabitants of Friedland as well as inhabitants of the transit camp are invited to play a part in the community garden.

9. Together the people take care of the plants and get to know each other while working.

10. FriedlandGarten is not only a place for work
FriedlandGarten is not only a place for work. It’s a place for everyone to meet, learn about our nature and to celebrate and enjoy what has been harvested together.

11. The LEADER Reality LEADER in the EAFRD-Frame
EAFRD-Reset Paper of the Saxon State Ministry of the Environment and Agriculture

12. EAFRD-Reset Paper of the Saxon State Ministry of the Environment and Agriculture
„The second pillar of the Common Agricultural Policy has run into a bureaucratic dead-end.“

13. Risk Atmosphere of Fear and Mistrust EU-Level Commission
The regulations get more and more complicated and produce a dramatic rise of bureaucratic expenditure
EU-Level Commission
It is nearly impossible to keep an overview and comply with all regulations
National Level
Paying Agency
All levels fear of the control system and following sanctions
The financial risk is eventually passed down from the upper levels to the beneficiary
National Level Authorisation Authority
Private beneficiaries withdraw from their application, because of the tremendous expenditure, the responsibility and risk, they have to bear!
Beneficiary

14. What LEADER should provide
What LEADER is
the only participative funding method which can motivate and activate local people to find local solutions for their specific needs
What LEADER should provide
Space and resources to support local strategies and local activities with new creative ideas for a better and sustainable life in rural areas
What LEADER needs (after 2020)
Trust and courage to give responsibility for strategy and implementation to the local level (LAG) without excessive bureaucratic demands and unbearable financial risks for the LAG and the beneficiaries

15. Let’s strengthen LEADER!
Our villages and the people in our rural areas are worth to campaign for them.
Let’s strengthen LEADER!
German LEADER Association (Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft der LEADER-Aktionsgruppen e.V., BAG LAG)
c/o LEADER-Regionalmanagement Göttinger Land
Dr. Hartmut Berndt
Reinhäuser Landstraße D Göttingen 