Guidelines for the administration of axis 4 LEADER

Guidelines for the administration of axis 4 LEADER

17th July 2014, Nitra

Mgr. Veronika Korčeková, MAMinistry of Agriculture and Rural Development

of the Slovak Republic

Content of the presentation

1. Introduction

2. Characteristics of LAG

3. The selection of LAGs

4. Skills acquisition, animation (Measure 3.5)

5. Implementation of LDS (Measure 4.1)

6. Cooperation projects (Measure 4.2)

7. Running of LAGs (Measure 4.3)2

Abbreviations

RDP - rural development programme

LAG – local action group

LDS – local development strategy

MA – managing authority

PA – paying agency

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1. Introduction

• Guidelines for the administration of Axis 4 LEADER • approved on 10 April 2008• 14 amendments, most recent 2nd June 2014• reasons - legislative changes, various additions, clarifications of information and procedures

• 15 chapters and 19 annexes

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1. Introduction

Overview of chapters

• Chapters no. 1, 2, 3 - general conditions concerning LAGs

• Chapters no. 4, 5, 6 and 7 – description of individual measures: - Measure 3.5 Skills acquisition, animation and implementation of LDS - Measure 4.1 Implementation of LDS - Measure 4.2 Implementation of cooperation projects - Measure 4.3 Running costs of LAGs

• Chapter no. 8 – projects´ evaluation and selection procedure

• Chapters no. 9, 10, 11 - the payments, control and monitoring system

• Chapters no. 12, 13, 14, 15 – changes of LDS, guidance for public procurement, definitions

• Annexes: outline of LDS, the selection criteria of LDS, measures implemented under Axis 4, forms of calls, contracts, declarations, limits for eligible costs etc.

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Legal form of LAG- civic association under Law 83/1990. An association is established

through the registration by the Ministry of Interior.

The structure of the LAG- LAG is a public-private partnership, where the decision-making bodies must be representatives of the public sector (max. 50% of the total votes). LAG is composed of the following bodies:

• The supreme body• The executive body• The statutory body• The supervisory body

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• The Supreme body - composed of all members of the association

• The Executive body - "LAG Management"

• The Statutory body – president of LAG

• The Supervisory body - e.g. Review Commission

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• Two calls:- 1st on 4 April 2008, 15 LAGs approved - 2nd on 30 October 2009, 14 LAG approved

• Evaluation and selection procedure: 1. Administrative control a. Formal check b. Eligibility check

2. The selection committee of MAa. Evaluation by external evaluators b. The approval process by the selection committee

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LAG eligibility criteria (objective selection criteria)

• territory of the Slovak Republic• 50% rule • legal form and mandatory bodies • population 10,000 - 150,000 inhabitants• municipalities with more than 20,000 inhabitants are not

supported• contiguous rural territory • existence od LDS• evidence of the formation of the LAG territory• LAG members placement • innovative approaches

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Qualitative assessment of individual parts of the strategy

• partnership building• evaluation of the analytical part• assessment of the strategic framework• evaluation of the implementation framework • participation of women, young people under 30 years old,

farmers and marginalized groups• monitoring and evaluation• cooperation projects• rurality of the area

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Results of the selection process - 29 LAGs, equally distributed in each county

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Basic data on LAGs

Profile of average LAG in SK

• The supreme body of the LAG operates a total of more than 1,100 members representing public entities and private and civil sector

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Nr. of LAGs

Nr. of municipalities

% of municipalities of SK

Nr. of inhabitants of LAGs

%. of inhabitants of SK in LAGs

Area of LAGs (km2)

% of area of SK

29 543 18,8 617 633 11,44 9 023,59 18,4

Nr. of inhabitants Area covered km2Population density inh./km2

21 298 311,2 78,96

4. Skills acquisition, animation (Measure 3.5)

- Capacity buiding, activation of citizens, preparation of strategies before the selection of LAGs

- Activities: informing about the region, informing, propagation

- Call annnounced on 2nd May 2008, application were received until end of July 2008

- 16 public-private partnerships applied

- 13 projects were approved, 844 227,- EUR

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• Strategies are implemented through projects under various measures defined in LDS

• The procedure for selecting projects:

- Announcement of calls- Receiving of applications in LAG- Check at the LAG level- Check at the PA level

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a) Announcement of calls

- done by the LAG

b) Receiving of applications in LAG

- done by the LAG

c) Check at the LAG level

- Formal check- LAG manager

-Project selection- Selection committee

d) Check at the PA level

- Administrative check, making official decision, signing contracts, payments

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• During the project implementation:- requests for payment to the PA by beneficiary- check on the spot and transfering payments by PA- monitoring report of the projects at the final payment by beneficiary

• Eligible activities and costs3.1 Diversification into non-agricultural activities = M311 3.2 Encouragement of rural tourism = M313 3.3 Trainings and information activities = M331 3.4 Group actions: the renovation and development of villages, infrustructure and services 3.4.1 Basic services for the rural population = M321 3.4.2 Renovation and development of villages = M322

• Annex no. 6 to Guidelines

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• cooperation, innovation, knowledge exchange and transfer from the LEADER approach

• Via Measures of Axis 3 of the RDP

• 2 types of the cooperation:- Inter-territorial cooperation- Transnational cooperation (TNC)

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• Role of LAGs:- coordinating LAG/ coordinator LAG Slovakia, project partner

• General rules- at least one LAG, open to public-private partnerships - implementation of a joint action by each partner- outcomes are publicly available - TNC

- LAGs are applying rules from the RDP of their country, - MA communicate to the EC approved projects

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• Activities

– Joint marketing of LEADER groups in various regions

– Protection of the common cultural heritage

– Capacity building

– Running costs and administration related to the project

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Administration on the measure

• Announcement of calls– Calls were announced in November 2010, april 2011, december 2011 and may

2013– Calls were time limited, project applications were received in the certain dates

• Selection of the projects– Done by the PA for both inter-territorial projects and TNC– Selection criteria – annex no. 15

• 54 projects so far (25 Inter-territorial, 29 TNC)• TNC with Czech republic, Hungary, Poland, France

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• Eligible costs– At two stages:

– Stage 1: For the preparation and coordinating work– Stage 2: For the realisation of the project

– Categories of expenditures:– Running of the LAG and administrative activity– External expenditures– Internal expenditures– Personal expenditures (Stage 1)– Travel costs, diets, accommodation– Coordination of the joint project`s realisation (Stage 2)– Implementation of the activities from the axis 3 (Stage 2)

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7. Running of LAGs (Measure 4.3)

• Eligible activities– Running of the LAG office– Administrative activities – Creating LDS– Studies and analysis aimed at updating LDS– Promotion activities and informing– Monitoring and regular evaluation– Keeping of the documentation– Trainings, conferences, seminars, workshops for the members of

the LAG Management and LAG members– Capacity building of the LAG

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7. Running of LAGs (Measure 4.3)

Eligible costs• 2 types:– Running costs and administrative expenditures– Costs related to capacity building (minimum 15 % of the

measure budget)

• Costs for this measure are eligible for the support within a limit of 20 % of the total public expenditure of the LDS

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Last but not least...

• Public procurement– Governed by the law no.25/2006– More detailed info in annex no.17

• Control– Administrative checks– Control on the spot

• Monitoring– monitoring reports by the final request for payment

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Thank you for your attention!

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Documents

Guidelines for the administration of axis 4 LEADER