Local Action Group (LAG) Initiative
Today, the President of the Municipality of Tivat, Zeljko Komnenovic, talked with Ratko Batakovic, the President of the Network for Rural Development of Montenegro, and Vesna Djukic, the Executive Director of the Olive Society "Boka", about the initiative to establish local action groups (LAG).
These are organizations that connect actors at all levels of creating, making, and implementing decisions of importance to the local community in order to contribute to the general prosperity of local communities and encourage local development in at least two municipalities. The founders must be representatives of all three sectors of society (public, civil and private). The LAG has an obligation to develop a strategy for the development of the territory in which it operates and sends it for approval to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Water Management. The competent ministry approves the Strategy, accredits the LAG, and approves the annual budget for financing projects to the local community.
According to Vesna Đukić and Ratko Bataković, LAGs have been established in all Balkan and European countries, except Montenegro, and their establishment is a precondition for withdrawing funds from European funds for rural development.
The meeting was attended by the manager of the Municipality of Tivat, Patricia Pobrić, and the Secretary for Economy in the Municipality of Tivat, Vedran Božinović. The local government of Tivat expressed support for this type of association, especially having in mind all the benefits it can bring.
