Last week I had the opportunity to participate in the launching of what till now is a Foundation involving Local Councils together with commercial and non-commercial entities in the Majjistral region of Malta. So far 8 Local Councils and 25 other entities have joined the Foundation which is being called the Majjistral Action Group. The Foundation will serve as a basis of a thriving Public Private Partnership with the interest of the region as its priority. It is encouraging to note that there is a strong interest from others and the partners in the Foundation will certainly increase.

The Majjistral Action Group follows the launching of other public private partnerships whose aim is to become Local Action Groups of the area they represent. This will take place once the areas are confirmed as Leader areas and would then benefit from the EU’s Leader programme.

The EU launched the Leader programme in 1991. Since then it has been revamped and developed on a number of occasions. Progressive continuation of the Leader Programme has been consequently provided by Leader’s successors Leader I, Leader II and Leader+. All these have enabled rural communities to pursue their own development strategies by looking to the future without losing touch with their natural and cultural heritage.

Rural areas are a vital part of the physical make-up and the identity of the EU. More than 91% of the EU’s territory is considered rural and this is home to over 56% of the population. Many of these rural areas face significant challenges and the EU’s rural development policy is all about meeting these challenges and unlocking the potential of the areas.

The EU sees a common rural development policy as essential for a number of motives. Most importantly, one has to keep in mind that not all Member Sates are able to afford the policy they need and EU intervention is necessary. Furthermore, many of the issues addressed through rural development policy are not constrained by physical boundaries and affect various regions and countries. A common policy is also important because of the links to a number of other policies set at EU level and the need for harmonisation.

The initiative is entering a new phase and will from now on come under the new European rural development fund EAFRD. Of the €88bn earmarked for rural development up to 2013, some 6% will go on Leader projects from 2007 to 2013.

The EU has a common rural development policy which nonetheless places considerable control in the hands of the individual Member States and regions.

The local approach to rural development works through Local Action Groups representing different interests and sectors within rural communities. They formulate ideas, make decisions and put them into practice. Local Action Groups submit strategies for the development of their territories within the framework of the Leader Programme and become responsible for the implementation once the strategy is approved by the Management Authority.

Since the strategy is planned by local operators it will be ensured that the region’s particular necessities and distinct characteristics are addressed and enhanced respectively. In this way it will also be ensured that the time frames between planning, decision making and implementation is minimised.

The Leader Programme works on the concept of a bottom up approach and thus Local Councils, local operators and the civil society actively contribute towards the obtainment of sustainable development in their territory. This falls perfectly in line with Government’s policy to have sustainable localities as confirmed by the various initiatives to this effect in the last budget.

An important measure in the Leader programme is aimed at training of leaders and their staff who are involved in the implementation of strategies, organisation of promotional activities and implementation of local development strategies.

Leader has also encouraged people with an interest in rural development to form regional, national and international networks, so they can benefit from each other’s experience. In this regard Local Action Groups will have the opportunity to apply for co-financing together with other Local Action Groups in the European Union.

To achieve their aims, Foundations, and eventually Local Action Groups, have to exploit talent and innovation in their territory and devise a strategy through which the region is enhanced and the quality of life of the residents bettered. Finally Local Action Groups shall become active policy makers and serve as a model of an efficient public private partnership built on the interests and necessities of the region they represent.