Gaining the status of European Union pre-accession member state, Croatia must adopt the acquis communitaire. Consequently, the Krapina- Zagorje County has to, in this pre-accession period, adjust its market economy and relevant institutions to EU policy and standards regarding rural development.
The Krapina-Zagorje County Rural Development Strategy would be an extension of Rural Strategy of Croatia implementing main goals and priorities at regional level. Priorities regarding rural development are also stated in the Regional Operative Plan of Krapina-Zagorje County, so further analysis of those priorities was an integral part of the Rural Strategy. The Regional Operative Plan represents a development strategy of the Krapina- Zagorje County for the period 2011–2013. It states four main development goals: competitive entrepreneurship, rural development, development of human resources and improvement of quality of life and preserved environment, cultural and natural values.
The project started its operations with the establishment of logistical details such as the project team consisting of members from the donor institution, recipient institution and partners, and the establishment of a partnership committee consisting of main actors in the field of rural development in the Krapina-Zagorje County. The teams then analysed the situation of targeted sectors through various instruments including SWOT analyses. Furthermore, objectives, priorities and measures were developed resulting in a clear delineation of the rural development programme for the period 2011–2013. The Strategy was developed in cooperation with local and regional authorities and it was adopted by the Krapina-Zagorje County Council. Lastly, the project engaged in endeavours that promoted its core activities and the Rural Development Strategy such as consultations with local representatives and workshops with local stakeholders. Moreover, through public fora and roundtables, municipalities were informed on the Strategy and asked to give their remarks and opinions on the rural development priorities.
The project aimed to create a regional partnership between key stakeholders in the rural area that will be main actors in creating rural development policies. The Rural Development Strategy was set up to be the basis for sustainable development through clearly identified priorities, measures and goals that are in cohesion with EU priorities and national policies. In the long term the project should contribute to:
- stronger competitiveness of the agricultural sector;
- preserved biodiversity and sustainable usage of the environment and of natural resources;
- improved quality of life in rural areas and wider programme for rural development; and
- improved institutional effectiveness through support of economic activities.