European initiatives for rural development

Abstract

Since 1988 the EU Community Initiatives Leader II and I have been implemented in the agricultural sector, introducing a new approach to the structural problems of the EU. It is recognized that farmers could earn their income from other sources than farming and the 1992 reform of the CAP encouraged diversification within the agricultural sector. A distinctive characteristic of Leader I and II Initiatives is that the development strategy is planned at the local level. Data show that investment in agritourism has attracted the majority of the EU funds to date.