Moldova is the first country outside the European Union to implement the LEADER state program for rural development.
Specifically, under the launched LEADER program, local action groups (LAGs) registered in Moldova will receive grants of up to 5% from the National Fund for Agriculture and Rural Development. According to Moldovan Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Viorel Gherciu, by allocating funding from the National Fund for Agriculture and Rural Development, the state is focusing on the economic and social development of the areas where LAGs are operating. "We really want to improve the quality of life in rural areas and develop new local services that meet the needs of the population. In this way, we will be able to stop the migration of young people from the countryside to the city, as well as their exodus abroad. Through community mobilization, we will stimulate economic development in rural areas. The LEADER program is part of Moldova's rural development policy, so the experience of the European Union countries, as well as of the Eastern Partnership countries, will help us in implementing this program," the head of the Ministry of Agriculture said. It should be noted that since 2016, with the support of the European Union, USAID and Polish aid, through Solidarity Fund PL in Moldova, LEADER National Network, together with 47 local action groups that represent it, developed projects for local communities that revitalized rural areas and stimulated the development of the regulatory framework, which allowed to adapt the LEADER approach to local conditions and implement it on a large scale through the LEADER program. "We are pleased that the LEADER initiative, which has more than 30 years of history in the European Union, has been extremely successful in all regions of Moldova and has significantly contributed to the revitalization of rural areas and local job creation. Today, we are proud of our local action groups, which reach more than 1 million people throughout the country. European Union and Team Europe continue to support the LEADER approach in the recently launched program " EU4Moldova: Local Communities", which will multiply the efforts and activities of the local action groups in Moldova, to be implemented by 2025. Through these small initiatives, the citizens take responsibility for the development of their communities", stated Janis Mazeiks, Ambassador of the European Union to Moldova. The National LEADER Network together with the local initiative group Plaiul Codrilor organized the launching event of the LEADER program. According to Marina Albu, President of the National LEADER Network, the LEADER approach relies on local communities, which play a key role in the development of rural areas. "In this context, it is very important that, together with the government and development partners, we continue to support the LEADER approach and the development of local action groups. Along with this, I want to express my deep respect for the people in rural areas who inspire us every day with their work and make us believe in a prosperous future for Moldova's villages," she said. The event provided a platform to report on the most important results obtained by the local action groups by implementing the LEADER approach and its evolution from a pilot project to a state program. During the event, the guests also took part in a mini-fair, organized by the hosts of the event, the local action group Plaiul Codrilor, where they could see the locally produced products made by the LAG members, including ceramics and food products: seasonal fruits, herbal teas, honey and wine. The implementation of the LEADER approach began in Moldova in 2016 with the support of the European Union, when the first 8 local initiative groups were created. Today, the number of LAGs has increased to 47; they have collectively implemented more than 850 local projects across the country and bring together 438 administrative-territorial units. The LEADER approach promotes better living conditions and inclusive economic growth in rural areas. For 2022, 300 million lei is earmarked for rural development in Moldova. Rural development is a priority, so the LEADER approach was included in the National Agriculture and Rural Development Strategy for 2022-2027. // 06.06.2022 – InfoMarket
