PAPI Cristineşti brought 3.5 million Euros worth of financing for GAL Codrii Herţei
10.08.2011
| The PAPI centre in Cristineşti and RECL employees helped the Local Action Group (LAG) Codrii Herţei receive important funds. Some 13 administrative units, 12 of which in Botoşani County and one in Suceava, will receive financing for development projects worth a total of 3,495,000 Euros. |
The manager of RECL Cristineşti, Iulian Radu Darie, played an essential part in founding LAG Codrii Herţei and putting together the paperwork needed for the financing. “I took care of the Local Action Group Codrii Herţei since 2007, when in was created as part of the first Training Programme for the Leader Axis. We then submitted a project during the first session for selection of Local Action Groups organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in September and November 2010, as part of Axis 4 Leader of the National Rural Development Plan (NRDP). We received substantial funding, which will help in the development of localities part of GAL”, Iulian Radu Darie says.
The GAL is composed of the communes of Cristineşti, Ibăneşti, Suharău, Pomârla, Conceşti, Cordăreni, Derşca, George Enescu, Hilisău, Horia, Hudeşti, Mihăileni, Sendricerni, in Botoşani County, and the city of Siret, in Suceava. The action group also includes two companies from each locality.
The name “LAG Codrii Herţei” comes from the old woods that used to exist in the region of Herţa, in North Bucovina, but also from one of the first medieval kingdoms which existed in the area and was name “Codrii Herţei” (“Herţa Woods”).
The next step, choosing projects
The next stage in the evolution of the LAG is creating an implementation unit to decide which projects will be financed. This, however, depends on certain decision which the Ministry of Agriculture needs to take. The money must be spent until 2014. The main actors in the LAG are City Halls, alongside NGOs and private companies.
“We were involved in organising all meetings between partners, and used the PAPI equipment. The effort was considerable, but worth it, since we had the greatest score from all 81 selected GALs”, the RECL manager explains. GAL Codrii Herţei received 97.9 points during the selection organised by the Ministry of Agriculture.
Development axis
Local Action Groups are local partnerships between administration representatives, companies and NGOs that aim to implement local and regional development projects. The main tool of LAG is the “Local Development Plan”, encompassing strategies and solutions to increase attractiveness and competitiveness of the LAG region by improving farming and economic infrastructure, as well as encourage citizen involvement in the community. Basically, through LAG, a development centre is created in the area.
Other projects for EU funds
The team of RECL Cristineşti helped write a large number of files helping local farmers receive financing on Measure 141 NRDP – Supporting subsistence farms: 300 files, so far. Now, farmers in neighbouring communes are coming to RECL manager Radu Darie. He is also involved in another project, helping the Cristineşti City Hall to get European funds on Measure 125 of the NRDP, “Access roads to agricultural exploitations”.
Online resources:
RECL Cristineşti essential for the creation of LAG “Codrii Herţei”
PAPI Mircea Vodă, centre of the GAL „Western Brăila Plain“
GAL Calafat, a Community of over 100,000 People
Keywords: CristineştiIbăneştiSuharăuPomârlaConceştiCordăreniDerşcaGeorge EnescuHilisăuHoriaHudeştiMihăileniSendricerniSiretSuceavaBotoşaniRECLLocal Development PlanEuropean financing