FLAG Factsheet
The FLAG territory is specifically focused on aquaculture and partially includes the areas of two counties, Alba and Hunedoara, which are situated along the Mureș river basin. Economic activities in the region are spread among the construction, commerce and services, agriculture and fisheries, and tourism sectors.
Due to a low birth rate and net outmigration, the local population is in decline. This is due to several factors including the 2008 economic recession, from which the area has struggled to recover. Moreover, the FLAG territory is not close to any major urban centres and as a result, it has relatively low accessibility to infrastructure. Other causes of outmigration include low standards of living, reduced opportunities for investment/jobs, and low perspective incomes. All of which are challenges to the FLAG and the area. That said, in recent years the regions pharmaceutical industry has developed methods of producing medicines from the local fisheries by-products, generating jobs for the local labour market.
The FLAG territory includes five protected areas, with a total area of 29.7km2 (2.9% of the FLAG area). They are the Avifaunistic reserve and Trascaului mountains and the Piatra Bulzului, Cheile Galdei, Tufurile Calcaroase Bobalna and Geoagiu Mezothermal nature reserves.
The overarching aim of the FLAG’s strategy is economic and social development at a sub-regional level based on financial, human and institutional sustainability. The specific objectives of the strategy are:
National
The FLAG makes an annual call for projects (normally in March) which are published on the FLAG website: http://www.flagbazinulmuresului.ro/
There are no formal links between the FLAG and the regions local LEADER LAG. However, the FLAG and LAG do share a territory and certain board members. The FLAG and LAG coordinate their work informally and with other nearby CLLD groups.
The FLAG partnership consists of 14 administrative territorial units (two cities and 12 communes), 11 private operators (three of which are from the fisheries and aquaculture sectors) and five environmental actors.