1. Rural Development experiences of Hungary
Anetta SZILÁGYI
FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia
Tbilisi
FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia

2. History of LEADER Programmes in Hungary
LEADER-Type Pilote programme
LEADER+ (ARDOP LEADER)
LEADER - Axis IV.
LEADER
Tbilisi, 25th November 2016
FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia

3. The Managing Authority
Main role: implementation of the New Hungary Rural Development Programme
Head: Deputy-State Secretary for Rural Development, Assisted by the Department of Rural Development
Previously performed the MA tasks relating to SAPARD, ARDOP and the European Fishery Fund. Civil servant employees funded from Technical Assistance budget of the NHRDP.
Main tasks:
Monitoring and coordination of the objectives set in the NHRDSP and NHRDP;
Preparation of annual, mid-term and long-term planning documents;
Preparation and coordination of the program modifications;
Preparation of legal documents, regulations and call for applications;
Implement the communication plan to popularize the measures of the NHRDP;
Monitoring of the subsidy fund utilization; leading the Monitoring Commitee;
Coordination of the LAGs; supervises the institutional system at all level (PA, LAG, technical support institute) in charge of the NHRDP implementation;
Reexamination of the local projects by the Budget Allocation Commission (FAB);Final ranking was made by the MA;
Has a technical support institute to carry out those activities where the MA has no capacities;
NHRDP: New Hungary Rural Dev. Programme; NHRDSP: New Hungary Rural Dev. Strategic Plan
Tbilisi, 24 November 2015
FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia

4. Tasks regarding Finacing, Monitoring, Accreditation and Coordination
Collection of financial and statistical information, definition of monitoring indicators;
Sending NHRDP monitoring data to the EU Comission;
Organization of the work of the Monitoring Committee;
Regular follow-up and supervision of the compliance with the accreditation criteria;
Coordination of tasks connected to EU Comission’ audit missions in relation to NHRDP;
Coordination of the drafting of legal regulations;
Implementation of NHRDP Technical Assistance, including public procurement.
Tbilisi, 24 November 2015
FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia

5. FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia
What is a LEADER LAG?
-associate public and private partners, coming from the different socioeconomic sectors in the area.
-receive financial assistance to implement local development strategies, by awarding grants to local projects.
-selected by the Managing Authority (national body) responsible for the management of the programme.
-local partnership, known as a LAG, is an original and important feature of the LEADER approach.
Tbilisi
FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia

6. FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia
LAG and territorial cohesion:
The LAG is a communication space, where people exchange and discover the commonalities (refer to history, the cultural or natural heritage of the area).
At decision making level the economic and social partners as well as other representatives of the civil society, such as farmers, rural women, young people and their associations must make up at least 50 % of the local partnership.
The partnership must be representative for the area.
The partners must be locally based.
The groups formulate an integrated local development strategy and are responsible for implementing it.
Tbilisi
FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia

7. FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia
Most active rural actors in Hungary:
professional organisations and unions (representing farmers, non-farming professionals and micro-enterprises),
trade associations,
residents and their local organisations,
local political representatives,
environmental associations,
cultural and community service providers, including the media,
women's associations,
young people.
Tbilisi
FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia

8. FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia
Role of LAG:
identifying and implementing a LDS, making decisions about the allocation of its financial resources;
improve the area's economic competitiveness;
Strengthen the dialogue and cooperation between different rural actors, who often have little experience in working together, by reducing potential conflict and facilitating negotiated solutions through consultation and discussion;
Facilitate the processes of adaptation and change in the agricultural sector (for example, quality products, food chains), the integration of environmental concerns, the diversification of the rural economy and quality of life.
Tbilisi
FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia

9. FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia
Minimum tasks of LAGs
Capacity building;
Drawing up a selection procedure and criteria for the selection of projects;
prioritising of the applications for ensuring coherence with the LDS;
Preparing and publishing calls for proposals including definition of selection criteria;
Receiving applications for support and assessing them;
Selecting operations and fixing the amount of support;
Monitoring the implementation of the LDS and the operations.
Tbilisi
FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia

10. FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia
Structure of the LAG
LAG: composed of settlements
Working organization: management and administrative body of the LAG. Cooperation Agreement was concluded between the LAG and MA and PA. (delegated tasks).
Assembly: supreme body of the association (LAG), which is composed of all the members of the LAG. The roles of the Assembly are defined in the Association’ „charter”.
Presidency: President is elected for 5 years with 2 vice-presidents and members.
-leading organ of the LAG which deals with all the tasks that do not fall under the exclusive competence of the Assembly.
Tbilisi
FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia

11. Role of municipalities
Measures improving the quality of life in rural areas gave opportunity for local governments to implement infrastructural investment projects.
LEADER measures are dedicated to support the goals of LAGs formulated in the local rural development strategies, the municipalities located on the territory of the LAG can implement their development ideas through those measures,
In Hungary, municipalities play an important role in the work of the LEADER LAGs (the membership of the public sector in LAGs is a requirement).
Several measures of the RDP are available for municipalities.
Axis III- Quality of life in rural areas and diversification of the rural economy;
Axis IV-LEADER

12. Experiences and changes
Some working organisations had a hard period regarding financement (post-financing, slow and bureaucratic procedures);
High expectation from the governmental bodies;
Lack of local innovation;
Post-payment cause trouble for rural actors;
General financial supporting rate was too low for entrepreneurs;
Lack of decentralisation of decision-making;
Interim changing of aid intensity (from 65% to 45%): applicants were frightened away;
Administrative problems: slow decision-making (at national level).
Changes
The LAGs’ financial and legislative responsabilities increased;
The LAGs became legal entities (non-profit organization);
The number of settlements involved in LEADER increased.
Tbilisi, 25th November 2016
FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia

13. Contact us Anetta.szilagyi@fao.org
Thank you!
Contact us
Tbilisi
FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia