Registration of Local Action Groups Opens New Opportunities for Rural Development

Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Vladimir Joković opened a working meeting in Podgorica today with representatives of local initiatives interested in registering Local Action Groups (LAGs). The meeting presented the registration procedure, establishment requirements and opportunities this model offers for developing rural communities. Kristina Radević, an adviser for IPARD programme planning at the Directorate for Rural Development, gave a presentation on the registration process, required documentation and the next steps for interested initiatives. The publication of the Rulebook on Detailed Conditions for the Establishment, Operation and Registration of Local Action Groups and the Rulebook on the National Rural Development Network of Montenegro has created the conditions for the official registration of LAGs with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management. Preparations for implementing Measure 5 – the LEADER approach under the IPARD III programme are particularly important. The measure provides support to selected Local Action Groups for capacity building, operating costs and the implementation of small projects. Natalija Dobrilović Dondić, a representative of the “Durmitor Ring” LAG, thanked the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management and the Rural Network of Montenegro for their support and cooperation to date, stressing that such initiatives are highly important for strengthening local partnerships and improving rural development. “The visit to Croatia was a valuable experience because we had the opportunity to see first-hand how Local Action Groups operate in practice, how they connect different stakeholders and how they turn ideas emerging in local communities into concrete projects.”