Rural Network

Estonian National Rural Network - Eesti maaeluvõrgustiku üksus

The Estonian National Rural Network covers the whole territory of Estonia.

The Rural Network mission is to add value to the implementation of the Estonian Rural Development Programme (RDP).

The Rural Network aims to facilitate flexible, open-minded and gradual development, with bottom-up initiatives based on needs and developed through cooperative activity among rural actors.

The membership is not formal but involves bodies representing programme beneficiaries and organizations and authorities engaged in rural development including RDP implementation including Chamber of Agriculture and Commerce, numerous agricultural bodies and associations, Private Forest Union, council of environmental NGOs, Ecological Engineering Centre, rural village movement Kodukant, Association of rural Municipalities, rural tourism,  nonprofit organization networks, association of small- and medium entreprises, EUROPEA, Estonian University of Life Sciences, University of Tallinn, Pärnu College (University of Tartu), and associations including agricultural and forest management advisers, environmental protection, cultural heritage protection, social inclusion organizations and Local action grups (LAGs).

The main tasks of Estonian Rural Network are the following:

• Promoting transnational cooperation, incl. exchanging information with European Network for Rural Development (ENRD);
• Providing Leader support activities for Local Action Groups (LAGs) and coordinating information exchange;
• Collecting and disseminating project examples that have received support from RDP support programme;
• Promoting the formation of new thematic innovations and new networks.

 The Rural Network actions include the following:

• Developing the website of NRN: collecting and disseminating the information about events through calendar; collecting, disseminating and sorting media publications according to target groups; establishing and updating different databases;
• Publishing weekly e-newsletter; compiling and publishing different publications and information materials;
• Informing through virtual media - making and ordering video- and media-stories;
• Organizing and co-organizing information days, seminars, thematic events and conferences;
• Organizing and welcoming international study trips; providing technical assistance for participating at events organized by ENRD and foreign NRNs;
• Compiling, conducting and ordering questionnaires and researches.

The Quantitative targets are set only for larger network activities. An annual work plan will be discussed each year with the Ministry of Agriculture and is set out in the European Rural Development Programme (ERDP) Technical Assistance plan. The work programme will be renewed according of needs, with ideas coming from Chamber of Cooperation and Ministry of Agriculture, LAGs and other stakeholders. Email surveys of network participants will help evaluate the benefit of network activities.