Innovation South Transnational Project Fair

Over 120 Europeans and over 80 representatives from Irish LEADER and Local Action Groups desceded on the city of Cork on Thursday 21st November and Friday 22nd November for a Transnational Project Fair.

The Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. John Kelliher, officially opened the event, which was ran by Innovation South, a joint venture between East Cork Area Development, Waterford LEADER Partnership and West Cork LEADER Co-op and supported by the Department of Rural, Community and Gaeltacht Affairs.

The two-day seminar included a half-day conference with presentations from keynote speakers on LEADER II, LEADER+ and the National Rural Development Programme and themed workshops with the presentation of case studies and proposals of transnational co-operation.

Thirty-eight Local Action Groups (LAG's) have been running development actions in the rural areas of the Republic of Ireland for a year now, within the framework of the LEADER+ Community Initiative and the National Rural Development Programme (NDDP) under the National Development Plan 2000-2006.

These two programmes build on the results of LEADER II in Ireland, which has been instrumental in the creation of one of Europe's success stories in integrated local development.  These LAG's are now initiating a process of partner identification with a view to establishing co-operation projects with European counterparts.

The LEADER+ programme is funded by the EU and the Irish Government under the National Development Plan 2000-2006.

From left: Brian Crowley, MEP,  Barry Cogan, Chairman of West Cork LEADER &

 Ian Dempsey, Chief Executive of West Cork LEADER.