Association and cooperation in Romanian rural areas? The leader experience

Abstract

In the last quarter century, rural areas and agriculture in Romania have entered a new development stage characterised by numerous structural and functional changes. The rural development process should be a holistic one and focus on integrated and multi-sectorial interventions. As the community led local approach strengthens the micro-regional perspective, the partnership between local actors and local participation are key features of a successful local development. In order to analyse the problems of association and cooperation in rural areas, the article aims is to present the LEADER experience in Romania. LEADER is the development program who emphasize the need for cooperation between local actors in order to find innovative ways for dealing with different problems. Building on the empirical research, the article identifies and highlights some problems in the implementation of LEADER's principles.