Rural Municipalities in Luxembourg
The European Union declared rural development as one of the priorities at the end of the 1980s. Since then, the Ministry of Agriculture in Luxembourg has been developing and implementing programmes to support rural and local development. The aim of these programmes is to reduce the development gap and existing inequalities between rural and urban areas and to prevent emigration from rural areas. The numerous support measures served to improve the quality of life in rural areas by improving the provision of infrastructure and basic services and by diversifying the local economy.
Today, rural areas in Luxembourg cover 85 percent of the country's surface area and are characterised by a diverse landscape and a strong regional identity. A total of 79 municipalities, or more than a third of the population, are part of this rural area.
A particular focus of the current "local development" programme is on strengthening social cohesion, maintaining associative life in the villages and involving citizens in the development of municipal projects. In addition, the Ministry of Agriculture promotes measures in the areas of economic diversification towards non-agricultural activities, development of tourism, strengthening of the local economy and further education. The preservation of natural and cultural heritage is also given great importance. It funds mainly hardware related projects in rural municipalities and hence complements the LEADER instrument.
The local development officers working in the LEADER offices act as one stop shop for project partners: they inform about funding measures, promote new projects, accompany projects for citizen participation and thereby strengthen the local community in rural areas.
Cover photo: © Liz Hacken
Further information
Information on rural development on the website of the Ministry of Agriculture:
https://agriculture.public.lu/de/agrarpolitik/laendliche-entwicklung.html
Contact
Benjamin Klein
Local development officer
