As the 2014-2020 period came to an end, Finnish fisheries LAGs (FLAGs) had exhausted their EMFF budgets. However, the start of the 2021-2027 programming period was postponed by about one year and a solution was needed ensure continuation of Community-led Local Development work during this transition period. The selection process of the new FLAGs, therefore, had to begin before the adoption of EU legislation, national legislation and the national EMFAF programme.
Authorities in Finland developed a streamlined, step-by-step selection process to make the best selection process possible:
2019-2020: External evaluation of CLLD (confirmation that CLLD should be continued in Finland, recommendations for improving the CLLD model)
2020/Q1: Workshop on 2021-2027 CLLD (joint understanding between the administration and FLAGs of the situation and the steps forward regarding the selection process)
2020/Q1-Q3: “Application clinics” (managing authority organized three events to assist FLAGs in preparing their local strategies)
2020/Q3: Launch of the informal selection process (open communication of the selection process for FLAGs and draft guidelines for FLAG applicants, including: the minimum requirements for a FLAG, the mandatory elements of the strategy and preliminary selection criteria)
2021/Q1-Q3: Appointment of the selection committee and adoption of the selection criteria
October 2021: Official call process for FLAG selection (open for one month, including official guidance for applicants)
November 2021: Evaluation of the local strategies (and feedback to FLAGs on their strategies)
December 2021: Finalization of local strategies (final proposals for local strategies)
January 2022: Final evaluation of the local strategies (Proposal by the selection committee on the selection of the FLAGs and their budget)
February 2022: Submission of Finland’s national EMFAF programme to the European Commission
March 2022: Managing authority’s decision on the selected FLAGs and their budget (Launch of the new FLAGs’ work)
September 2022: Adoption of the national EMFAF programme and selection criteria (Possibility for FLAGs to launch calls and finance local projects)
Funding
A total of €10.2 million has been budgeted for CLLD implementation in Finland under the EMFAF, with an average of €925 500 per fisheries LAG.
Fisheries LAG
Eleven fisheries LAGs have been selected in Finland for 2021-2027 period. For further information on CLLD in Finland, see country factsheet for Finland.
- Project locations
- Finland