The National Council for Rural Affairs

Landdistrikternes Fællesråd (The National Council for Rural Affairs) is a Danish umbrella interest organisation that represents the shared interests of Danish rural districts and outlying areas. It is headquartered in Odder and also has a department at Roberthus in Egtved. The organisation is led by a board chaired by Steffen Damsgaard, who has held the chairmanship since 2008. It is widely regarded as the overarching rural-district organisation in Denmark and functions as a practical expert in gathering, sharing and communicating knowledge and experience in the field. The council was established in 1997 by the Komité for Landsbyer og Landdistrikter, Landsforeningen af Landsbysamfund and the association Landsbyerne i Danmark, in cooperation with the Danish Ministry of the Interior. Its membership is broad: it includes 55 Danish municipalities and a number of larger organisations such as Danske Rederier, Landbrug & Fødevarer, Coop and SMVdanmark, as well as many villages, rural district councils and local action groups. Its work is organised around a five-point plan focusing on settlement, business, infrastructure, education and health. The council works for better framework conditions for Danish rural districts and outlying areas, and several elements of the government's 2015 rural-district initiative were based on its proposals. It is a party-politically neutral organisation that cooperates with all parties in the Folketing, and it also serves as a national sparring partner for the Folketing and central administration on rural and island development under an agreement with the Ministry of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs. Among its recurring activities are the annual Landdistrikternes Dag at Christiansborg, a mayors' summit for rural districts, networks for municipal employees, and the annual Årets Landsby (Village of the Year) award, which it presents together with Landsbyerne i Danmark and Forenet Kredit. The council also participates in monitoring committees for several EU programmes, including the Rural Development Programme, the Sea and Fisheries Development Programme, and the Regional and Social Funds.

Landdistrikternes Fællesråd was established in 1997 by the Komité for Landsbyer og Landdistrikter, Landsforeningen af Landsbysamfund and the association Landsbyerne i Danmark, in cooperation with the Danish Ministry of the Interior. It was created to handle shared tasks and interests for Danish rural districts and outlying areas, and it has since become the overarching rural-district organisation in Denmark. The organisation has been chaired by several prominent figures. Thorkild Ljørring Pedersen led the council for several years, followed by Lone Andersen, who later became vice-chair of Landbrug & Fødevarer. Since 2008 the chairman has been Steffen Damsgaard, a former national chairman of the youth organisation LandboUngdom. The council is headquartered in Odder and also has a department at Roberthus in Egtved. Over the years the council has built a broad membership base, including 55 Danish municipalities and major organisations such as Danske Rederier, Landbrug & Fødevarer, Coop and SMVdanmark, alongside many villages, rural district councils and local action groups. Its advocacy is structured around a five-point plan focusing on settlement, business, infrastructure, education and health. This plan formed the basis for several elements of the government's rural-district initiative presented in 2015. Venstre's rural-district spokesperson Thomas Danielsen confirmed in an interview with Berlingske that several elements of the government's "Growth and development throughout Denmark" initiative were based on proposals from Landdistrikternes Fællesråd. The council has been a strong advocate for relocating state jobs out of Copenhagen. Ahead of the 2015 general election it launched a campaign together with 40 mayors to secure relocation after the election. The council and the mayors subsequently received support from Hans Christian Schmidt, Troels Lund Poulsen, Lars Christian Lilleholt and Søren Gade, who launched a petition to move more state jobs out of Copenhagen. Immediately after the election the government began work on relocation plans. Landdistrikternes Fællesråd proposed relocating 10 specific agencies, of which the government chose to move 8. As a party-politically neutral interest organisation, the council cooperates with all parties in the Folketing. In 2011 it helped establish the Ministry for City, Housing and Rural Districts and a parliamentary committee for rural districts and islands. Today all parties in the Folketing have a rural-district and islands spokesperson. The council also organises the annual Landdistrikternes Dag at Christiansborg and a range of member-related events, including an annual summit for mayors in rural districts and networks for municipal employees. Beyond its interest-representation role, Landdistrikternes Fællesråd serves as a national sparring partner for the Folketing and central administration on matters concerning the development of rural districts and islands, under an agreement with the Ministry of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs. It has repeatedly organised hearings, conferences and debates in cooperation with the Folketing's Committee for Rural Districts and Islands. It also participates actively in various political working groups and in a number of councils, boards and committees, including the government's advisory committee on rural districts (DRUPL), chaired by the minister for industry, business and financial affairs, who holds the portfolio responsibility for rural districts. In 2017 it emerged that the government had not held a meeting in that advisory committee since 2014; at the urging of Landdistrikternes Fællesråd and Landbrug & Fødevarer, the minister resumed meeting activities in 2017. The council also holds seats on the monitoring committees for several EU programmes, including the Rural Development Programme, the Sea and Fisheries Development Programme, and the Regional and Social Funds. Its vice-chair Grethe Saabye was appointed in 2017 as chair of the Advisory Committee for the Ministry of Industry's Rural District Pool by then-minister Brian Mikkelsen. The pool distributes approximately DKK 18 million annually to three types of projects: pilot projects, research and information projects, and projects on the small islands. The council also participates in committee trips with the Folketing's Committee for Rural Districts and Islands, and is part of the committee's stand at the Folkemødet on Bornholm. The chairman Steffen Damsgaard sits on the board of the Centre for Rural Research under the University of Southern Denmark in Esbjerg.

• 2026

  The Årets Landsby award is presented for the 30th time; Stouby in Hedensted Municipality wins.

• 2017

  Vice-chair Grethe Saabye is appointed chair of the Advisory Committee for the Ministry of Industry's Rural District Pool; the government resumes meetings of the advisory committee on rural districts (DRUPL) after pressure from the council and Landbrug & Fødevarer.

• 2015

  The council's five-point plan forms the basis for several elements of the government's rural-district initiative; ahead of the general election it campaigns with 40 mayors for the relocation of state jobs.

• 2011

  The council helps establish the Ministry for City, Housing and Rural Districts and a parliamentary committee for rural districts and islands.

• 2008

  Steffen Damsgaard becomes chairman of the council.

• 1997

  Landdistrikternes Fællesråd is established by the Komité for Landsbyer og Landdistrikter, Landsforeningen af Landsbysamfund and Landsbyerne i Danmark in cooperation with the Danish Ministry of the Interior.

• 1995

  The Årets Landsby (Village of the Year) award is created by Landsforeningen Landsbyerne i Danmark; it is later presented by Landdistrikternes Fællesråd together with Landsbyerne i Danmark and Forenet Kredit.

Party-politically neutral umbrella organisation and national sparring partner for rural districts and outlying areas in Denmark.

• Five-point plan for rural development

  Focus areas: settlement, business, infrastructure, education and health.

• Årets Landsby (Village of the Year)

  Annual award presented with Landsbyerne i Danmark and Forenet Kredit.

• Landdistrikternes Dag

  Annual event at Christiansborg.

• Mayors' summit for rural districts

  Annual summit for mayors in rural districts.

• Networks for municipal employees

  Member-related networks.

1. 1Landdistrikternes fællesrådlanddistrikterne.dk
2. 2The National Council for Rural Affairswikidata.org
3. 3Landdistrikternes Fællesrådda.wikipedia.org