News | 04 Apr 2025

‘My Rural Future’ petition – ensuring LEADER/CLLD as a pillar for EU development

The new petition of the European LEADER Association for Rural Development (ELARD) calls for concrete action to embed LEADER/CLLD at the core of EU policies, ensuring territorial cohesion, economic competitiveness, democratic resilience, and effective rural crisis response.

ELARD-petition

Image by Rachel Claire on Canva

Read the ‘My Rural Future’ petition – available in 21 languages – and sign, if you agree with its call.

Specifically, the petition calls on the European Commission to: 

  • Make participatory rural development tools mandatory across all EU member states in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF);
  • Integrate LEADER/CLLD into multiple EU policies and protect its budgetary allocation with earmarking, including the common agricultural policy (CAP) and cohesion policy;
  • Strengthen and recognise the role of Local Action Groups (LAGs) as essential partners in democracy, cohesion, and resilience;
  • Simplify access to funding by reducing administrative burdens and ensuring multi-fund mechanisms support efficient, community-led initiatives;
  • Increase LEADER/CLLD funding.

Find out more on the evolution of the LEADER approach since 1991 and discover the latest Rural Pact resources on the topic.