Designing together: Leader grants strengthen the Mostlandl-Hausruck region

Designing together: Leader grants strengthen the Mostlandl-Hausruck region

In the Leader region Mostlandl-Hausruck, which is almost identical to the political district of Grieskirchen, the municipalities have significant funding to support local projects. The EU funding program aims to promote rural development and quality of life. The highlight: the citizens of the region actively help shape the projects. "The projects have to come from the region; this is the only way to get money," explains a spokesman. For the funding period from 2023 to 2027, a total of around 3.5 million euros are planned for various projects.

A remarkable project is to set up a new everyday cycle path network. The aim is to redirect the traffic of motorized vehicles to bicycles, which should have positive effects on the environment and the quality of life in the communities. This national cycle path network will combine the districts of Grieskirchen, Ried, Schärding and Braunau to score with short paths to a doctor, work and purchase. A planning office is currently being sought to advance the implementation of the paths.

financial support and challenges

However, there are also challenges. In the regional development association Eferdinger Land (Regef), a budget of around 1.8 million euros is available for the funding period from 2023 to 2027. Susanne Keinecker, managing director of the Regef, emphasizes how important these funding are for the region. "With the leader programs, we bring the EU directly to the people," she says. But the submissions from the population are currently declining. The bureaucratic hurdles and the need for pre -financing scare many potential applicants. "The funding is only paid out afterwards, which is a challenge for many," says Keinecker.

Despite these hurdles, the Regef records some successes, such as the development of the Eferdinger Land region brand, which was created after the merger of the district administrations in Grieskirchen and Eferding. This brand contributed to the region's identity strengthening and is visible on platforms such as Eferdingerland.at, where regional products are advertised.

success stories and future perspectives

The greatest successes are the “Appetite for Future” project, which deals with topics such as upcycling and regional cuisine. With around 70 events and courses last year, this educational project has reached several hundred participants and will continue next year. The response from the elementary schools shows that interest in such offers is great.

The LEADER program therefore has a lot of potential and shows how important local initiative is for the development of a region. This commitment of the population is the key to use the means sensibly and to actively shape the future of the communities. For more detailed information, the website Mostlandl-hausruck.at ready, on which the different projects and initiatives are presented.