Importance of the Leader programme in Hungarian rural areas facing globalization and agricultural decline

In the last decades global economic processes and decreasing agricultural employment have caused serious structural problems in a number of rural areas all over the EU and other developed countries as well. The main objective of this paper was to define the possibilities of Leader program 2007-2013 in those impaired micro-regions that suffered most from the decrease of employment in agriculture in Hungary during the period 1990-2003. According to multivariate statistical methods the analysed micro-regions have a strong correlation with spatial ineąualities, and the selected micro-regions lag behind concerning the necessary local resources, especially human resources. We have evaluated the implementation of Local Rural Development Strategies. It is a very current issue in Hungary, since the mid-term review of these strategies is underway right now. We have drawn conclusion that this initiative has already a significant contribution to the redressing of local problems, but some changes are necessary to be carried out to completely reach its goals and generate even more positive development.

W artykule dokonano analizy Lokalnych Strategii Rozwoju Obszarów Wiejskich na Węgrzech wdrażanych w ramach inicjatywy Leader. Stwierdzono, że mimo pozytywnych efektów dalsza intensyfikacja działań jest niezbędna dla osiągnięcia założonych celów.