The Formation of Local Action Group in Lithuania

Abstract

In order to activate rural population and organizations of rural communities, to
encourage innovations, to strengthen competitiveness of rural areas and to reduce the
gap between town and countryside. Thirty-three partnership organizations were
established in Lithuania in 2003-2004 according to the LEADER+ initiative. This
initiative as an innovation rural development model is treated as an instrument not
only for the rural development but also for the European integration. Much attention
is paid to the improvement of administrative and methods skills of rural institutions to
the establishment of local action groups (further – LAG’s) and their development to
the working out of territorial strategies and the ways of their implementation. This
paper analyses the starting position of LAG’s and determines the profile and role of
LAG’s in rural development.