The 2023 LEADER European Congress

The 2023 LEADER European Congress is the first event to bring together as many European LAGs as possible in more than 15 years. It is also the first organised by an institution outside the European Commission!

Join us on 18 and 19 December in Brussels to discuss the future of LEADER in European policies and fill the Parliament’s hemicycle with more than 800 participants from rural Europe. This Congress will bring together more than 600 LAG members from all over Europe, officials from the European Commission, MEPs involved in LEADER and rural development, as well as representatives of national and regional rural networks and managing authorities.  

In the context of the post-2027 review of European policies, the place of rural development is sometimes discussed. This is why ELARD was keen to bring together this year the representatives of the LEADER programme and CLLD in Europe to take stock of rural development in Europe, to give a place and a voice to rural areas in the hemicycle of the European Parliament and to highlight the challenges related to rural areas in the context of a pre-election year.

DATE AND HOUR: 18 and 19 December. From 13.00 CET on 18 December and until 17.00 CET on 19 December.

PLACE: European Parlament Brussels