What does the future hold for LEADER and rural development funding after 2027? This question dominated the 2026 LEADER meeting in Lüneburg, in which the IfLS participated. Discussions centered on the European Commission’s current proposals for the upcoming funding period. These proposals have drawn criticism from many rural development stakeholders. In particular, the proposed “Rural Target” is considered insufficient: From the perspective of many stakeholders, the 10 percent allocation falls significantly short of the needs of rural areas and, moreover, is not reserved exclusively for rural development measures.
The importance of strong and independent funding for rural areas became strikingly apparent during the field trips to the surrounding LEADER regions. There, participants were able to learn about numerous projects that would have been impossible or very difficult to implement without LEADER.
The discussions and examples from Lüneburg once again demonstrated the potential that lies in rural regions—provided that local people are given the right tools to put their ideas into practice. To ensure that such success stories remain possible in the future, strong and reliable funding for rural development is needed beyond 2027.
Documentation of the event will be available (soon) at www.dvs-gap-netzwerk.de.
We are active in the area of LEADER both in strategy development and in the field of evaluation:
Contact persons at IfLS: Dr. Ulrich Gehrlein (gehrlein[at]ifls.de), Viola Krieger (krieger[at]ifls.de), Lukas Welk (welk[at]ifls.de)
