Local Action Groups ─ Success with the help of EU funds

The IPARD LEADER measure will help create, fund and consolidate Local Action Groups that will help Montenegrin municipalities reverse depopulation trends and turn their rural areas into a better place for living. "Deputy Head of EU Delegation to Montenegro Riccardo Serri stated.

The LEADER initiative is an approach in the framework of the EU rural development policy to stimulate equality and unity of all stakeholders in the processes of policy building, decision making and implementation of activities related to rural development. Establishing local partnerships called Local Action Groups (LAG) is one of the primary and most important steps of the LEADER approach.

“The EU will support the implementation of the LEADER measure under the EU's IPARD programme for agriculture and rural development. Montenegro is currently making the necessary preparations, and I am certain that the IPARD authorities will do the necessary work so that the measure implementation can start soon. The municipalities need to play a proactive role in activating the local communities to come together and identify their local development potential." said Serri at the two-day conference on the EU LEADER programme and the Establishment of Local Action Groups.

The Union of Municipalities of Montenegro, with the support of the EU TAIEX instruments, organised the two-day conference for Montenegrin municipalities’ representatives.

Mišela Manojlović, Secretary General of the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro, stated that amendments to the Law on Agriculture and Rural Development were prepared in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management.

In this way, a legal framework will be provided to enable the establishment of Local Action Groups in Montenegro, added Manojlović.

 Participants had the opportunity to hear about experiences from neighbouring countries, EU Member States Croatia and Slovenia.

Ivan Ciprijan from the Ministry of Agriculture, Croatia; Alina Cunk Perklić from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food, Slovenia;  Ivan Čupić, FLAG LOSTURA, Croatia and Goran Jelinić, Mayor of the Municipality of Brodski Stupnik, LAG POSAVINA Croatia, introduced participants of the conference to basic steps in establishing LAGs, how the local community is involved in developing rural areas, as well as examples of successful LAGs, projects, and other important topics in this area.

In this way, the establishment of Local Action Gruops is supported under Measure 5 of the IPARD III programme of Montenegro.

Andrijana Rakočević, Director General of the Directorate for Rural Development of the Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Water Management, presented the current status of the formation of LAGs in Montenegro and stressed that the legal preconditions for registration of these groups in our country had been provided.

Irena Bošković, the Chief of the Directorate for Interregional Programs and Macro-regional Cooperation, also addressed the attendees.

This is the third workshop supported by EU TAIEX instruments and organised by the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro. This instrument is of great importance for the exchange and acquisition of knowledge in areas of interest to Montenegrin local self-governments. In addition to workshops, with the support of TAIEX, the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro is currently preparing two study visits for municipalities on the topic of e-government, as well as a visit by TAIEX experts to our municipalities on the same topic.