Sixth Stakeholder Meeting in Neckar-Alb on April 9th
The sixth German Stakeholder Meeting of Down to Earth was held at the office of LEADER Mittlere Alb in Münsingen (Germany) on April 9, 2025. The aim of the meeting was to share the experience gained during the Study Visit to Slovenia with the German stakeholders and to discuss with a wider audience the procedure for the development of theoretical foundations in the Down to Earth project for the update of the Neckar-Alb Regional Plan.
During the first part of the meeting, the participants were informed about the status of the project and were given an overview of the work carried out in the previous months. Then, the Regional Association Neckar-Alb presented the findings of the Study Visit to Slovenia from 4-6 February 2025. Participants were informed about the objectives and the course of the Study Visit. A short portrait of the Gorenjska region was presented. In addition, the Policy Instrument of the region (Regional Development Plan for the Gorenjska Region 2021-2027) and the main strategies for the development of the Gorenjska Region were portrayed.
Later on, an exchange of information on the observations and approaches in Slovenia took place. The discussion focused on the strategies in agriculture, the marketing of agricultural products, climate adaptation measures and regional development issues. The findings were further related to regional planning issues.
The following part of the meeting addressed the development of theoretical foundations in the Down to Earth project for updating the Regional Plan Neckar-Alb. In this context, the methodical approach for improving the Policy Instrument on the basis of the project's findings was presented. In addition, the fields of action identified by Down to Earth partners for the key issues of "environmental risks" / "socio-demographic risks" and "challenges of agriculture" were presented, as well as the adaptation needs identified in the project with regard to a future update of the Regional Plan Neckar-Alb. An exchange of information on the areas for action outlined in the presentation followed, and participants made suggestions for improvements and provided expert input.
The last part of the meeting served to provide a brief outlook on the next steps in the project and sought to inform the stakeholders about the upcoming Study Visit to Romania in June 2025.