Slovenian National Rural Network

The Slovenian Rural Network's mission is to encourage communication and networking for rural development through four objectives defined on the basis of the EU Regulation and an additional one - ‘knowledge transfer’.

Contacts

Podporna enota mreže za podeželje (National Support Unit)
Ministrstvo za kmetijstvo, gozdarstvo in prehrano, Dunajska 22
1000 Slovenija
Slovenia
Telephone number: 
+38 614 789 128
Email address: 
Contact persons: 
Matej Štepec

Links

NSU operation

Objectives

The Slovenian Rural Network defined five strategic objectives, four are based on the mandatory objectives set by the EU Regulation and an additional objective is defined on ‘knowledge transfer’:
Providing information to general public and beneficiaries on the rural development policy and funding options;
Better implementation quality of the rural development programme;
Better integration of the stakeholder in the implementation of the rural development;
Promotion of innovation in agriculture, food production, forestry and in rural areas;
Encouragement of the transfer of knowledge and cooperation in agriculture, food production, forestry and rural areas.

Membership

How to join the network?
 The Slovenian National Rural Network is comprised of organisations and individuals that join under a voluntary and free-of-charge registration process. Anyone can apply; in the application form there is a request to identify a field of interest (members can choose one or more categories). 
What are the member‘s thematic interests?
More than half of the current membership (2.281 members as of May 2016) has expressed thematic interests while registering:  Agriculture (82%), integrated rural development (75%), management of the agricultural and rural areas (71%), tourism (68%), processing of agricultural and forestry products (66%), entrepreneurship (61%), food safety and quality (60%), LEADER (59%), diversification into non-agricultural activities (52%), forestry (50%) and environmental protection (40%).
How to get involved?
Members cannot apply for NRN funding. NRN prepare open calls to identify the needs on the countryside and receive projects ideas. Where applicable (e.g. importance for RDP implementation, importance for NRN goals), the NRN implements those projects together with NRN partners.

NSU & RDP management

The NSU and the Managing Authority
The Managing Authority (MA) is responsible for establishing and operating the NRN and NSU.
The MA is also responsible for all documents that are prepared by NSU. 
The NSU and the Monitoring Committee
NSU reports to the Monitoring Committee (MC) about the implementation of the Action Plan of the NRN 2014-2020 and on the RDP communication activities.
Members of the MC have been invited to register for membership in the NRN.
The NSU is sometimes involved in logistic preparations of MC meetings, and it is invited to those agenda points where NRN information is discussed. 

Regional representation

Although there are no regional NSUs or regional antennae, the central NSU operates INFO points, which are run by NRN partners from their own resources. The main objective of these INFO points is to inform local stakeholders about RDP measures.

Governance

Steering Group
The Steering Group of the Rural Network presents various groups/areas - 41 representatives from 19 different organisations - and provides outlines for the Network operation. It meets at least 2 times per year, and has the following responsibilities:
proposing the activities of the network;
making proposals for improving the implementation of the activities and functioning of the network;
making proposals to Network’s activities and documents (including the NRN action plan);
proposing  the creation of thematic working groups;
ensuring the dissemination and exchange of information, practices, skills, etc. in the field of rural development among the members of the Network, organisations and individuals;
providing  data and information for the preparation of materials, workshops, events, etc.;
giving support  for monitoring and evaluation of the activities carried out;
participating in the activities of the network.

Thematic Working Groups
Thematic working groups support different areas/activities of the Network. Not only the Steering Group, but also the Managing Authority initiates the establishment of certain working groups and, if necessary, provides the support for the operation of such thematic group.

Info Points
The network cooperates with the so-called INFO Points, which provide the stakeholders with information on RDP.

Financial resources

Budget (€)
Total NRN public funds: 3 991.360
Out of which national co-financing: 997 840
Out of which EAFRD: 2 993 520
 

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