INTERNATIONAL LEADER PROJECTS IN LITHUANIA

1. INTERNATIONAL LEADER PROJECTS IN LITHUANIA November 9, 2012 Ilona Sadovskaite Chief specialist of the Ministry of Agriculture

2. DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS OF THE AXIS "IMPLEMENTATION OF LEADER METHOD"Total: 136 99 millEUR

3. PROGRESS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF AXIS IV For 22 October, 2012

4. IMPLEMENTATION OF LOCAL PROJECTS UNDER AXIS IV For 22 October, 2012

5. LAGs IN LITHUANIA • Implementation of 10 local development strategies supported under LEADER+ (2004-2006). • 51 LAGs established for the period 2007 – 2013in Lithuania; • LAG territory covers 99 per cent of the whole territory of Lithuania; • LAG territories coincide with the territories of the rural area of municipalities; • All LAGs are joined into the LAG network (established on December 12, 2007); • LAGs are active participants in the activity of the Lithuanian rural network (44 LAGs are approved as full members of the Network).

6. IMPLEMENTATION OF LEADER METHOD • IV axis ,,Implementation of LEADER method” shares – 473, 01 mill. Lt. • Measure ,,Implementation of local development strategies (LDS)” – 433,66mill. Lt; applicants – LAGs. • At least 73 % of LDS is devoted to the measure ,,Village renewal and development” • Eligible applicants of local projects: • rural communities; • municipalities; • NGOs; • other legal entities.

7. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION PROJECTS

8. AVAILABLE PROJECT TYPES “Soft” project activities: are associated with the dissemination of good practices of rural development, publicity, organization of events, publishing, research, etc. when the activity is not continuous and the investment into real estate, purchasing of equipment, machinery and mechanisms is not foreseen. “Hard” project activities: are associated with investment into real estate, purchasing of equipment, machinery and mechanisms.

9. AVAILABLE PROJECTS JOINT ACTION cooperation projects should cover different fields of activity that meet the objectives of the strategies of Programme axis 3, the project coordinator and partners of LAGs. Joint actions that are eligible for financing may be aimed at fostering of capabilities, good practice sharing, application of common labor methods and ways, planning of joint actions or coordination of joint actions in the field of rural development. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMON ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE Cooperation projects may cover the establishment of common organizational structure. The new common structure may be any organization that has legal status that is accepted in the Republic of Lithuania. Preconditions for the establishment of the said structure: 1. partners should be the structures with legal status; 2. project implementation is not possible without establishment of the new common organizational structure.

10. SUPPORT AMOUNT UNDER THE MEASURE "TERRITORIAL AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION" • The biggest support amount for one project- UNLIMITED;

11. ALLOCATION OF MEASURE FUNDS

12. PARTICIPATION OF PARTNERS • LAGs choose partners for the project implementation • LAG that is project coordinator has to conclude cooperation agreements with the partners (cooperation agreement may be submitted untill the signing of the support agreement) • The contribution size of the partners is not defined by the rules (it should be agreed by the partners) • The partners may give only financial contribution • The commitments of partners are defined in the cooperation agreement

13. PROJECT ASSESSMENT AND APPROVAL ASSESSMENT APPROVAL • Applications shall be assessed by the Agency • The assessment shall be carried out within 3 months • Reports on the assessed applications shall be submitted to the Ministry • The Ministry shall accept a temporary approval and inform the Agency • The Agency shall inform the European Commission through SFCI; • When the information on the temporary approval of all project partners is received, the Ministry shall approve the project ! The temporary approval shall be valid for 9 months.

14. EXAMPLE OF THE POSSIBLE FINANCIAL PLAN OF A PROJECT Total project value 220 000 Lt

15. CATEGORIES OF ELIGIBLE EXPENSES (1) (detailed description of expenses is provided in the implementation rules) • Project coordination costs (no more than 5 per cent of eligible project costs): • travel and/or transport rentals; • hotel costs; • secondment costs; • communication and post costs; • remuneration to the project administrator; • documentation assessment; • office goods; • opening and service of a bank account; • Publication costs of a project

16. CATEGORIES OF ELIGIBLE EXPENSES (2) (detailed description of expenses is provided in the implementation rules) • Joint action costs ("soft projects"): • rentals for the premises and/or place where the joint activity is organized; • purchasing of goods and services directly related to the project implementation; • rentals for devices, equipment, machinery and mechanisms; • preparation and publishing of information material related to the joint activity; • furnishing with food and accomodation (on the basis of project nature and only during the specific time of project activity implementation, e.g. fair, conference, etc.); • general costs.

17. CATEGORIES OF ELIGIBLE EXPENSES (3) (detailed description of expenses is provided in the implementation rules) • Costs for the activity of the general organizational structure ("hard projects"): • establishment and registration of the general organizational structure (legal entity); • rentals of premises, utility services; • rentals of office equipment; • communication and post; • rentals for devices, equipment, machinery and mechanisms; • purchasing of goods and services; • repair of structures (except for complex temporary structures), reconstructions, extensive repairs; • Purchasing of automotive vehicles (buses and small goods vehicles); • purchasing of vehicles for inland waterways (except for vehicles for inland waterways that are attributed to fishing vessels, sports vessels, personal vessels (water motorcycles), floating equipment); • general costs.

18. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!