Moldovan government votes project on local action groups

Chisinau, 17 December /MOLDPRES/- The draft law on local action groups aimed at developing rural areas by creating and implementing LEADER state program was approved by government yesterday.

The document represents a new special law comprising the scope and complexity of the LEADER approach, namely the establishment, activity, reorganization and liquidation of local action groups, as a legal entity. According to Minister of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment Ion Perju, the need to develop and promote the draft law was determined by amendments to the law on subsidy principles in the development of agriculture and rural environment, which refers to the creation of the LEADER state program.

He said that only the financial sources approved for the National Fund for the Development of Agriculture and Rural Environment from the annual law of the state budget will be used for the implementation of the project.

LEADER is an EU territorial rural development instrument, which is part of the EU's rural development policy. The LEADER approach is implemented both in the European Union countries and associative countries, and aims at renewal of rural areas, sustainable economic growth at local level, creation of more jobs in villages. So far, about 32 Local Action Groups have been set up in Moldova, covering about 35% of the rural areas in the country.

photo: contact-cahul.md