Situation

After a phase of socialist industrialisation, today’s economic development of many Stability Pact Countries of South Eastern Europe is again widely characterised by the agrarian and food sectors. In rural economic areas, agriculture with its upstream and downstream activities forms the primary driving force for economic and social development being contrary to the often backward development of rural areas. This situation was dramatically aggravated to some extent by the liberalisation of markets, the political process of decentralisation accompanied by privatisation as well as a new regional structural policy for preparing EU integration. The breaking up of the former Yugoslavian Republic into new independent states considerably affected the formerly well established trade relations and economic cycle and thus, the economic and political stability of the entire region.
The aim of EU accession additionally requires further adjustments, the most important of which are the set-up of a functional regional level and the promotion of initiatives of local economic and social partners. Within this context the necessary transformation process is often hampered by authorities and institutions characterised by centralist structures of decision taking. Thus, there is a lack of institutions in rural areas to efficiently represent the economic, political and social interests of the active rural population. However, the development potential of the rural areas of these countries can not be opened up successfully and sustainable unless an alternative power in the society is established through democratisation, decentralisation and self organisation in private industry.

Objective

The main objective of the programme is to promote structural changes and sustainable development of rural areas in order to prepare the Stability Pact Countries of South Eastern Europe, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Romania as well as Serbia and Montenegro, for joining the EU. The specific aim of the InWEnt programme as part of the main objective is to qualify selected key organisations to actively participate in regional development processes in rural economic areas.
This is to be reached by enabling responsible national, regional and municipal institutions:

With this program, InWEnt seeks to initiate and promote in the partner countries a process of decentralisation addressed to and supported by the local population.

Concept

With this supra-regional programme InWEnt supports new, cross-sector approaches and concepts for a sustainable development of rural areas. In this context, the mobilisation of the endogenous development potentials by involving all relevant groups of stakeholders forms a core issue of all measures. Linking regional support policies with a participatory regional planning, local and regional economic development as well as new market-oriented and employment-oriented vocational training systems is the focal point of this innovative approach.
In order to implement the integration concept, comprehensive tools are being used. They comprise international conferences of policy dialogue, expert seminars and intensive training workshops both in Germany and the partner countries. Most important is the sustainability of the individual measures of dialogue and training. That is why on the one hand dedicated and active partner organisations are closely accompanied and supported in their follow-up activities and on the other hand cross-border cooperation (e.g. Phare-CBC, INTERREG, EUREGIOS, etc.) is being paid high priority. This networking, however, creates new partnerships as an important contribution for political stabilisation in the region.
This long-term measures aim at young and qualified farmers, who work on their own farms or on the farms of their parents.

Contents

The three components of the programme:

Training Location

InWEnt – International Training Centre in Leipzig-Zschortau
InWEnt in Bonn and Magdeburg;
Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia-Montenegro

Partners

The programme resorts to a wide network of partners in South Eastern European countries, which has been set up in recent years. The most important partners are on the one hand the responsible line ministries with their subordinated authorities (e.g. Ministries of Economics, Agriculture and Education as well as Ministries of Local Self-administration and European Integration, national extension services, and labour agencies and on the other hand leading associations, communities of interest and private enterprises (e.g. agricultural cooperatives, farmers’ unions, marketing cooperatives, economic development agencies as well as local and municipal self-administration associations.

Germany/International

The programme is interlinked with the activities of German and international cooperation in the partner countries, the most important partners being e.g. GTZ, KfW, FAO, UNDP and IFAD. In Germany itself it is based on close relationships with numerous professional institutions, e.g. ministries and subordinated authorities, departments of economic and business development, agencies for regional development and regional marketing, farmers’ unions, universities and scientific institutions.

Financing

The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) supports InWEnt in sponsoring the EU integration of rural economic areas in South Eastern Europe between 2005 and 2007 with some 1.4 mill EURO.

Contact

Jens Adler, Senior Project Manager
InWEnt - Internationale Weiterbildung und Entwicklung gGmbH
Capacity Building International, Germany
Natural Resources and Biodiversity Division

Lindenstrasse 41, Zschortau
04519 Rackwitz, Germany
Fon: +49-34202-845403
Fax: +49-34202-845777
E-Mail: jens.adler@inwent.org