Supported through the CEI Know-how Exchange Programme (KEP), the activities of the project entitled Krapina Zagorje County Rural Development Strategy have successfully been concluded with a final conference held on 30 June, 2011 in Zabok (Croatia).
Bringing together the Slovenian Development Agency Kozjansko and the Croatian Zagorje Development Agency, the main result of the project was the creation of a strategic document that defines objectives, priorities and measures for the rural development of the Krapina Zagorje County for the period 2011–2013.
Rural development and its components – agriculture and agricultural entrepreneurship, rural tourism and management of sustainable natural resources – are the main carriers of Krapina Zagorje County’s economic development.
The project will most likely have a long-term impact. Once Croatia will be part of the European Union, its counties will have access to structural funds, including the European Fund for Agriculture and Rural Development. This implies that the country and its regions would benefit, during the current pre-accession period, from gaining experience and knowledge to fulfil EU conditions and requirements. In this context, the Krapina-Zagorje County Rural Development Strategy was developed to raise the competitiveness of agriculture, rural tourism and natural resources. The Strategy is also expected to stimulate improvements in the management of natural resources, and in the general living conditions in the region.
The main activities developed by the project were the establishment of the project Partnership Committee - which included the county government - and the preparation of the Strategy. The document resulted from the identification of the main goals, priorities, and evaluation measures, and the delineation of action plans and financial frameworks for the management of natural resources of the county. Moreover, the Strategy, that will be presented to Krapina Zagorje County for endorsement, complies with previous domestic efforts on rural development, national legislation and priorities of development of rural areas.
Promotional activities carried out during the project implementation included conferences, a round table and public fora to present the envisaged rural development measures to the local stakeholders, newspaper articles, and radio broadcasts. The wide participation of the public in these fora and the nature of the questions raised by the local community attending the meetings, showed a clear interest and ownership in the issues of rural development.
The project was partly financed through the CEI Trust Fund at the EBRD under the CEI Know-how Exchange Programme. By partnering Slovenian and Croatian development agencies, the drafting of the Rural Development Strategy for the Krapina Zagorje County has been a highly suitable assignment for a know-how exchange framework. The KEP is a CEI specific instrument which helps to transfer know-how and best practices from the CEI-EU members to the Initiative’s non-EU Member States.
For more information on this project and the CEI Know-How Exchange Programme: http://ceinet.org/KEP