Local Action Groups (LAGs) – An important Instrument in Ensuring the sustainable Development of rural Areas in Romania

Abstract

Local action groups (LAGs), the key element of the LEADER approach, are intended to identify and put into practice, using the public-private partnership, a local development strategy that harmoniously combines the interests of all players involved into the development of rural areas: inhabitants, organizations, professional unions, local politicians, environmental associations, cultural and community service providers, mass media, etc. The involvement of LAGs in the decision-making process in respect of the future of rural regions ensures the premises of sustainable development within the rural area, consistent with its three dimensions: economic, social, and environmental.