(16 May 2014) – Sweden has become the first EU country to confirm its intention to apply Community-Led Local Development (CLLD) in all four European Structural and Investment Funds.
At a special launch event on the 8th of April 2014, representatives of the ministries concerned explained that, in future, local action groups will not only have the possibility to seek funding for fisheries and rural development, but also to address social issues and skills development.
There will also be a single managing authority, the Swedish Board of Agriculture, responsible for all three programmes that include CLLD.
Expressions of interest from local partnerships are being requested by May 2014 and it is expected that successful groups will be operational by mid-2015. As part of the new arrangements, the Swedish rural network will now become the Swedish rural and fisheries network.