Spanish LAGs endorse Jerez Declaration calling for a stronger future for LEADER
Representatives of rural territories, Local Action Groups (LAGs) and rural development networks from across Spain have endorsed the Jerez Declaration calling for a stronger role for rural areas and LEADER/Community-led Local Development (CLLD) in the EU's future policy framework.
Image by the Red Española de Desarrollo Rural (REDR)
The Jerez Declaration for the Future of LEADER/CLLD and Rural Development was agreed at a national gathering in Jerez de la Frontera in June 2026 and endorsed by all Spanish LAGs.
The Declaration sets out ten priorities aimed at reinforcing LEADER/CLLD as a key instrument for territorial cohesion, sustainable development and participatory governance. It calls for rural areas to be recognised as a strategic European priority and for a dedicated rural objective to ensure that EU policies and funding effectively contribute to rural development while maintaining a specific focus on rural territories.
Among its proposals, the Declaration calls for stable and protected funding for LEADER/CLLD in the 2028-2034 programming period, maintaining its role within the common agricultural policy (CAP) and any future single European fund. It also advocates for integrating the LEADER approach more broadly across EU policies with a territorial dimension and applying rural proofing so that the impacts of public policies on rural areas are systematically assessed.
The signatories further call for LAGs and their networks to play a stronger role in designing, implementing and evaluating European and national policies, including the future National and Regional Partnership Plans. They also highlight the need to simplify administrative procedures, strengthen trust-based delivery and ensure that people living in rural areas have access to quality services, economic opportunities and the conditions needed to remain and build their future in rural communities.
The Declaration comes at a time of ongoing discussions on the post-2027 EU budget and policy framework, including the role of place-based approaches, territorial governance and stakeholder participation.
Explore the latest Rural Pact resources on the topic of LEADER/CLLD.