Annex No.3 to Art. 14, Para. 1 of ORDINANCE No
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Annex No.3 to Art. 14, para. 1 of ORDINANCE No. 22 from 14.12.2015 for the application of Sub- measure 19.2 “Application of Activities Within the Frameworks of the Community-Lead Local Development Strategies” of Measure 19 “Community-Lead Local Development”(CLLD) of the 2014-2020 Rural Area Development Programme (RADP). (Altered by State Gazette # 38 from 2016, valid from 20.05.2016) CLLD STRATEGY OF GOTSE DELCHEV – GARMEN – HADZHIDIMOVO LOCAL INITIATIVE GROUP Introduction During the 2007-2013 period, for the first time ever, Bulgaria managed to effectively utilize the LEADER method as a tool for decentralized management and integrated local development in rural areas. For the purpose, 35 local initiative groups, comprising 57 rural municipalities and 6 local fishing groups spanning across the territories of 17 municipalities have been established in the years prior 2013 and are still functioning. During the 2009-2011 period, we have performed activities with the purpose of preparing potential local initiative groups for implementing strategies for local development. Additionally, these activities are responsible for teaching skills and ensuring activities can happen on a communal level across the territories of potential local initiative groups under the Rural Area Development Programme. The LEADER method in Europe dates back to 1991. Since then it has been developed as a separate initiative in the EU member-states until 2007 (“Leader I” during the 1991-1993 period, “Leader II” during the 1994-1999 period and “Leader+” during the 2000-2006 period) and as for the 2007-2013 Programme Period, the initiative has been included as a part of the Programmes for Rural Area Development (PRAD) of member-states. The name of the method originates from the French abbreviation of „Liaison entre actions de développement rural (LEADER)“ – “Connections between the activities for development of rural areas”. Since its creation up until this day, the LEADER method has been focused primarily on encouraging and improving the potential for local development in rural areas through the reliance of the initiative and skills of local communities. The idea is that local communities in member-states should define their own development priorities, after conducting a wide range of consultations with stakeholders from the civil, non-government, profit, and public sectors. This idea originates from the fact that the local population best knows its own problems, needs, priorities, and development potential. During the 2014-2020 Programme Period, LEADER is being implemented through the Community-Lead Local Development Approach (CLLD) described in Measure 19 “Support for local development under LEADER” of RADP. CLLD is applied in a “bottom to top” fashion so that local communities can determine, choose, and approve priorities and a strategy for an integrated development of the area and communities. The main challenges, that will be encountered through the application of CLLD in the 2014-2020 programme period, concern the necessity of creating employment (incl. alternative) and utilizing the local potential for growth with improving the quality of life and the income of the local population as main goals. The use of CLLD is focused around achieving unification and concentration of support for the interventions that possess the highest amount of added value with respect to overcoming economic and social discrepancies in the development of the territories. During the 2014-2020 Period, CLLD is encouraging the implementation of the so-called multi-fund strategies with support of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and, possibly, with the support of the European Regional Development Fund, European Social Fund, and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (which will come as a major difference in the current implementation of the approach compared to the implementations of previous years). The main priorities of CLLD are: ➢ encouraging social inclusion and decrease of poverty levels; ➢ establishing an integrated approach for conserving and protecting the environment and stimulating resource efficiency, incl. prevention and risk management activities as well as utilizing the cultural heritage potential; ➢ focusing on innovations through the encouragement of their introduction and application ➢ encouraging sustainable and qualitative employment and providing support for the mobility of workforce; ➢ increasing the competitiveness of local economies and identifying opportunities for the establishment of local businesses through diversification, alternative activities and sustainable production of aquacultures; ➢ Improving the quality of education and the qualifications of the local population. CLLD is applied through integrated and multi-sector strategies for CLLD, based on the characteristics of the specific territory and developed with respect to local needs and potential in accordance with national, regional, and local development policies, including desegregation and de- institutionalization policies. Strategies usually support the implementation of small-scale projects for local product diversification, for improvement of agricultural activities, for minor infrastructural improvements of villages, and other projects leading to the improvement the quality of life in rural areas and setting the grounds for a better, more sustainable future. The current Strategy for Community-Lead Local Development (referred to as “Strategy for CLLD” or “The Strategy” in the following pages) has been developed for the territory of the Gotse Delchev – Garmen – Hadzhidimovo Local Initiative Group with the purpose of fulfilling the primary needs and utilizing the development potential of the Gotse Delchev, Garmen, and Hadzhidiovo Municipalities for the period until 31st December 2020. General information about the contract The Strategy for Community-Lead Local Development of LAG – Gotse Delchev – Garmen – Hadzhidimovo has been prepared within the framework of Grant Contract No. RD 50-194/ 07.12.2015 under Sub-measure 19.1 “Aid for preparatory activities” of Measure 19 “Community- lead local development” under the 2014-2020 Rural Area Development Programme (referred to as “the contract” in this document for short). The contract amounts to 47,815.75 BGN with a period of implementation 07th of December 2015 – 07th of June 2016. The contract beneficiary is the non-profit association “Local Initiative Group – Gotse Delchev” (LAG – Gotse Delchev) in partnership with: • Local Initiative Group – Hadzhidimovo Foundation • Garmen Municipality (Garmen local partnership); • ET Suzana Sarieva (Garmen local partnership); • Nevrokop Association (Garmen local partnership). The following activities were carried out within the contract framework: 1. Popularizing the strategy development process; 2. Training of the LAG team, incl. members of partner organizations and local leaders; 3. Survey and analysis of the territory; 4. Planning and accounting for strategy-related expenses; 5. Implementation of activities regarding administrative expenses As a result of completing the above-mentioned activities, the Strategy for CLLD was prepared during the period December 2015 – May 2016. It has been approved by stakeholders during public talks on 18th of April 2016 and 18th of May 2016, by the municipal councils of the municipalities of Gotse Delchev, Garmen, and Hadzhidimovo during sessions on 26th of May 2016, and by the General Assembly of LAG – Gotse Delchev – Garmen – Hadzhidimovo on 27th of May 2016. The main achieved results of the project implementation are: Completed Strategy for Community-Lead Local Development until 2020. MIG – Gotse Delchev Association has expanded its territorial range and has acquired new members (contract partners and members of the local community from the three municipalities with representatives from more than 50% of towns and villages within the project territory acting as members of the General Assembly of the Association). Legal grounds The current CLLD Strategy of LAG – Gotse Delchev – Garmen – Hadzhidimovo has been developed in compliance with the following European and national normative and programme documents, regulating the application of the CLLD Method for the 2014-2020 period: European normative base: ➢ Regulation (EU) No. 1303/2013 of the European Parliament and Council from 17.12.2013 for the determination of generally applicable orders of the European Regional Development Fund, European Social Fund, Cohesion Fund, European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, for the determination of general provisions of the European Regional Development Fund, European Social Fund, Cohesion Fund, and European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, and for the cancellation of Regulation (EC) No. 1083/2006 of the Council (members 32-35); ➢ Regulation (EC) No. 1305/2013 of the European Parliament and the Council from 17.12.2013 regarding support for the development of rural areas by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and for the repeal of Regulation (EC) No. 1698/2005 of the Council (members 42-44) – referred to in this document as “Regulation (EC) No.1305/2013”. ➢ Partnership agreement of the Republic of Bulgaria outlining the aid of European structural and investment funds for the 2014-2020 period (Section 3, p. 3.1 “Integrated approach for territorial development”) National normative base: ➢ LAW for Management of Resources from European Structural and Investment Funds ➢ ORDINANCE No. 16 from 30.07.2015