The conference held this morning concluded the consultation process by the Gozo Action Group on the strategy for Local Development under the European Union’s LEADER programme.
The consultation process has been carried out in Gozo during the past month, meetings were held with the local councils, along with sectoral meetings with stakeholders,
The aim of the LEADER programme is to improve sustainable rural development. The programme focuses on linking public and private sector operators in the field of agriculture, tourism operators, as well as NGO’s.
Three Local Action Groups were formed to reach the rural majority of Malta and Gozo. These are the Action Group Gozo, the Northwest and the Southeast, to gather them under their umbrella of 40 rural location. Each Local Action Group was granted €90,000 to devise a strategy for local development.
At the conference in Gozo, Parliamentary Secretary for Public Dialogue and Information, Chris Said, said that the consultation will help find solutions to the challenges Gozitan localities are being faced with.
Projects that will be covered through funds from the LEADER programme include agriculture, marketing, training and study, as well as capital investments on projects specifically planned for the territory and that cannot be financed by other funds. These will be allocated almost €4 million over 3 years specifically for the provision of three action groups, and will help to create a difference in rural areas, Chris Said added.