GENERAL INFORMATION ON IMPLEMENTING THE SDL THROUGH LEADER
Territory of excellence in the Maramureș Country
Halting this decline and initiating a revitalization process through innovative methods is a key challenge well-suited to LEADER, ESF+, and similar programs.
Current legislation and the LEADER principles support a bottom-up approach, allowing for issue-specific and territorial segmentation to test Rural Functional Zone (RFZ) models – a concept introduced in the ESPON (European Spatial Planning Observation Network) study.
Specific areas within each ATU, where both tangible and intangible assets are concentrated, can be selected. According to the Tourism Law, “Tourist Zones” (TZs) may be defined within each ATU, integrating investments in IT, green energy, landscape design, and creating healthy food and tourist attraction points (Mountain Gastronomic Points – PGL Montane). These efforts align with the Mountain Law no. 197/2018, art. 1, para. (5): “Sustainable and inclusive mountain development refers to a process initiated, led, and controlled by the mountain population, developing specific economic activities that preserve traditions, cultural identity, and heritage, while maintaining biodiversity and protecting the environment and landscapes, thereby increasing the region’s attractiveness and quality of life.”
These micro-zones can evolve into Smart Mountain Development Zones (SMDZs), inspired by the RFZ and ESPON models.
Based on these initial, physically and digitally connectable structures (via internet), interventions under programs M2 through M10 can be implemented, gradually leading to the creation of an integrated and scalable structure: the Territory of Mountain Excellence (TEMMM).
The LEADER Approach (Liaison Entre Actions de Développement de l’Économie Rurale) is a key strategic tool for the development of rural communities. The implementation of the Local Development Strategy (LDS) through LEADER supports the mobilization of local resources, contributing to economic growth, environmental protection, and the promotion of social inclusion, within a sustainable framework tailored to the specificities of each community.
Through the implementation of the LDS, LEADER focuses on supporting innovative local initiatives that address the specific needs of rural areas. The main intervention areas include:
- Diversification of economic activities, by supporting small businesses and rural entrepreneurship, with a focus on job creation and promotion of non-agricultural initiatives;
- Local infrastructure development, which includes improving transport, water and sewage infrastructure and upgrading public spaces;
- Promoting rural tourism and preserving cultural and natural heritage to attract visitors and encourage sustainable tourism development;
- Support social inclusion by integrating vulnerable groups and reducing economic and social disparities.
Within the LDS framework, the LAGs (Local Action Groups) play a key role, as they are responsible for the development and implementation of local development strategies. They mobilize financial resources available through EU and national funds, managing projects with a direct impact on the community and stimulating partnerships between public authorities, the private sector and civil society organizations.
The key objectives of implementing the LDS through LEADER are:
- Improving quality of life in rural areas;
- Promoting economic and environmental sustainability;
- Creating new economic and social opportunities;
- Improving infrastructure and public services;
- Stimulating active community participation in the decision-making process.
By using LEADER funds, LAGs contribute to projects that address the specific challenges of each rural community and generate long-term development.