The Local Action Group (LAG) Belitsa-Yakoruda covers the territory of two municipalities – Belitsa and Yakoruda, located within Blagoevgrad District, in the South-West Planning Region. The total area of the territory amounts to 633.48 sq.km. (293.86 sq.km. for Belitsa and 339.62 sq.km. for Yakoruda), of which only 1.31% is urbanized land. The LAG territory represents 9.81% of the total area of Blagoevgrad District. Forests are the most significant resource for both municipalities and for the LAG territory, covering over half of the area (56%). The settlement network of the LAG Belitsa-Yakoruda consists of a total of 20 settlements – 2 towns and 18 villages. The settlements in Belitsa Municipality include 12 locations, of which one is the municipal centre – the town of Belitsa, and 11 villages. The settlements in Yakoruda Municipality include a total of 8 locations – the municipal centre, the town of Yakoruda, and 7 villages. The Community-Led Local Development Strategy (CLLD) has been developed based on local needs and potential identified through extensive stakeholder research and socio-economic analysis. A total of 235 representatives of the local community participated in the process of developing and coordinating the strategy. The needs, opinions, and expectations of the stakeholders were studied through a survey and a consultation campaign, which served as the main foundation for the development of the strategic framework and the definition of the CLLD measures. The strong interest in the various measures is reflected both in the strategic framework and in the CLLD budget. The CLLD Strategy for the 2023–2027 programming period will be financed by the CAP Strategic Plan (EAFRD). Based on the identified local needs and territorial potential, the need for complementary funding has also been established from two additional programs: the Human Resources Development Programme 2021–2027 and the Environment Programme 2021–2027.
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