In 2004, following the accession of Lithuania to the European Union (EU), real possibilities opened for Lithuania to pursue economic and social cohesion jointly with all other EU member states, using support from Structural Funds for rural development. The LEADER+ type measure is among the measures designated for reaching this objective, which at that time was already in the process of implementation as the third stage of the LEADER initiative in the old EU member states. In 2004-2006, Lithuania was in the process of drafting and enforcing the corresponding legislation, establishing institutions, developing administrative capacities essential for preparing and implementing local development strategies, including the funding of the implementation of pilot integrated strategies.
The article presents an analysis of the preparatory process for the implementation of the LEADER initiative in Lithuania, the formation of LAGs, implementing pilot integrated strategies, characteristic peculiarities and principles of activities, specific features of the implementation of pilot integrated strategies and local projects, the scope and nature of initiatives for cooperation. Referring to the statistical analysis, a survey of LAGs, searching for causality of the outcomes, modelling of processes and to the EU experience, recommendations were formulated for a more effective implementation of the LEADER method during the period 2007-2013.
Key words: pilot integrated strategy, development of rural areas, LEADER, local project, local action group.
Ribašauskienė, E.; Naujokienė, R. LEADER+ įgyvendinimo pažangos vertinimas: Lietuvos atvejo studija // Žemės ūkio mokslai, 2009. T. 16. Nr. 3-4. p. 113-120, ISSN 1392-0200 (EBSCO, Central & Eastern European Academic Source, CAB Abstracts).
