Morocco-EU Partnership: implementation of the National Strategy for the Development of Rural Space and Mountain Areas, particularly in its Component 2 dedicated to territorial economic and environmental projects.
This article was automatically translated from HIBAPRESS, the Arabic version:
HIBAPRESS-RABAT-MAPMDREF
The Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests (MAPMDREF) and the European Union in Morocco organized a national workshop to capitalize and close the Territorial Development Support Program (PADT), in Rabat. This Program provided technical assistance to support the preparation of the implementation of the National Strategy for the Development of Rural Space and Mountain Areas, particularly in its Component 2 dedicated to territorial economic and environmental projects.
The workshop brought together institutional representatives, experts and local stakeholders. It aims to present the results obtained, identify good practices and share recommendations for the future implementation of the territorial economic and environmental projects of the Strategy.
The territorial development support program (PADT), which benefited from funding of 50 million euros from the European Union in budgetary aid and technical assistance, supported in parallel the advanced regionalization policy and the National Development Strategy. Development of Rural Space and Mountain Areas. The program mobilized, in the part devoted to technical assistance, 19 national and international experts for a period of 38 months.
The work focused on two pilot regions: Béni Mellal-Khénifra and Oriental, with the aim of strengthening the skills of local actors through 29 training sessions on territorial projects and 16 in agritourism, rural and mountain tourism; promote consultation via 60 workshops and 40 coordination meetings; produce practical tools, such as a methodological manual, a project monitoring-evaluation system and analyzes on the integration of women, young people and financing mechanisms. All the expertise carried out as part of this important support made it possible to strengthen the process of consultation and exchange involving national and local stakeholders, in accordance with the principles of advanced regionalization.
This initiative mobilized local stakeholders, including local authorities, decentralized services of the ministries concerned by the integrated strategy, as well as civil society and the private sector.
As a reminder, the National Strategy for the Development of Rural Space and Mountain Areas is based on three components:
1- Social upgrading: generalization of basic services and infrastructure, particularly via the Program for the Reduction of Territorial and Social Disparities;
2- Integrated territorial projects: revitalization of local economies and development of innovative approaches;
3- Major structuring projects: opening up and attractiveness of urban centers and tourist resorts.
