EU Funding Programme LEADER

LEADER stands for “Liaison entre actions de développement de l’économie rurale”, meaning “Links between actions for the development of the rural economy”. It is a European Union initiative aimed at supporting rural areas in their path towards autonomous and sustainable development.

As a methodological approach to regional development, LEADER enables people living in rural areas to actively participate in shaping the future of their region. This participatory approach has been successfully applied in EU Member States since the 1990s. The programme is financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD).

At the beginning of each EU funding period, a Local Development Strategy is developed for each LEADER area, with active involvement of the local population.
The current LEADER area for the 2023–2027 funding period includes all 26 municipalities of the Puster Valley, with the exception of the urban districts of Bruneck town centre and Stegen. The aim is to support the long-term development of rural areas.