Francis Agius, Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture and Fisheries, yesterday concluded a seminar on the Leader programme, which aims to improve the quality of rural life through small projects and the participation of the rural community.

The concept was totally new to Malta, Dr Agius said, but it had been tried successfully in other EU states.

The Department of Rural Development was at the moment in its final preparations of getting the approval of the European Commission for its rural development plan up to 2013. Once approved applications would be opened and the country would start benefitting from the funds allocated. Local action groups would have to be set up representing all the interests of the Maltese rural community. They would be based on voluntary participation, Dr Agius said, and their strategy would be to identify shortcomings in particular regions and provide solutions for them.