The Agriculture and Rural Development Agency of Albania announced the First Call for Applications under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance for Rural Development (IPARD) Programme (II) with the aim of approving grants for use in the agri-food sector. The call will be open for 60 days from 30 November 2018. The call is open for all citizens (natural and legal persons) of the Republic of Albania who work and operate in agriculture and rural development.

The grant scheme is co-funded by the EU (75%) and the Albanian Government (25%). IPARD II in Albania will implement 4 out of 9 available measures i.e.

1. investments in physical assets of agricultural holdings; (1)
2. support for the setting up of producer groups;
3. investments in physical assets concerning processing and marketing of agricultural and fishery products; (2)
4. agri-environment-climate and organic farming measure;
5. implementation of local development strategies - LEADER approach;
6. investments in rural public infrastructure;
7. farm diversification and business development; (3)
8. improvement of training;
9. technical assistance; (4)

For the first phase, the call will be open for the 1st, 3^rd, 7^th and 9^th measures, as in Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey. 

The objectives and priorities of the IPARD II Programme measures contribute to meeting the sector’s objectives by supporting investments in:

1. the agri-food sector, aiming at improving competitiveness, compliance with EU standards, and nature and environment preservation; and
2. rural areas, aiming at diversification of the rural economy and business creation leading to improved employment opportunities and social inclusion.

CNVP’s expertise in Albania (and the other Balkan countries) is consistent with the objectives of the IPARD II Programme, allowing it to contribute to economic development, farm diversification and business development in rural areas.