Rural Network

Estonian National Rural Network Support Unit

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 unformal but involves bodies representing programme beneficiaries, organizations and authorities engaged in rural development including RDP implementation including:

The main tasks of Estonian NSU

• 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 main activties of Estonian NSU

• 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 Rural Affairs 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 Rural Affairs, LAGs and other stakeholders. E-mail surveys of network participants will help evaluate the benefit of network activities.