Filenews 7 November 2022 - by Angelos Nicolaou
Eight major projects worth €7 million are soon to start in eight different municipalities and communities across Cyprus, under Measure 7 "Basic services and village regeneration in rural areas", of the Rural Development and Environment Programme - Transitional Period 2020-2022.
In fact, the project that stands out among the 8 that have been approved, out of the 19 that were evaluated, is the proposal for the creation of a public market in the Municipality of Deryneia, an approval that comes for the first time through the Rural Development Program. Of course, the support of farmers' markets is high on the priorities of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, since it gives economic breathing space to rural areas, to producers and consumers who will be able to directly buy agricultural products directly from producers.
A total of 27 applications – proposals were submitted in the framework of the 4th call of Measure 7, with their total budget reaching €20.3 million. However, only 19 reached the evaluation stage from which 8 proposals were adopted.
According to the ranking of the projects, as a result of the scores obtained during the evaluation process, as well as of course the available budget of €7 million, the first 8 projects received pre-approval, while on-the-spot preliminary inspections will begin immediately, as provided for by the regulations.
The first place in Pyrga
So, after the evaluation of the proposals, the highest score was received by the project concerning the redevelopment of the traditional core in the Community of Pyrga. The beneficiary is the Larnaca District Administration and the eligible budget of the project amounts to €1.2 million. Second, in the score but equally important, is the creation of a public market in the Municipality of Deryneia with the beneficiary the Famagusta District Administration, because for the first time the Rural Development Program will financially support a Municipality with the sole purpose of creating a public market. This project will be supported with the amount of €788,000.
Then follow 6 more renovations of central points of Communities and Municipality, which is also a goal of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment to support and upgrade rural areas. In particular, the following proposals have been adopted:
>> Redevelopment of the public market square, as well as the creation of a semi-underground parking lot in Gourri amounting to €1 million (Nicosia District Administration).
>> Redevelopment of the Agios Epifanios core – Phase A with the eligible budget amounting to €865,000 (Nicosia District Administration).
>> Redevelopment of the free space in front of the City Hall and the free space in front of the old police station in the Municipality of Polis Chrysochous, with a total budget of €944,000 (Municipality of Polis Chrysochous).
>> Redevelopment of the Menoikos core with a total budget of €609,000 (Nicosia District Administration).
>> Redevelopment of the Politikon core, amounting to €1.1 million. (Nicosia District Administration).
>> Redevelopment of the core of the community of Koili in the Pafos District amounting to €1.1 million. (Pafos District Administration).
Rural development through infrastructure
Rural areas are always at the heart of the Rural Development Program and that is why this Measure aims at rural development in order to preserve and promote the natural and cultural wealth of its areas, through the implementation of public infrastructure projects for the benefit of the rural population, while the aim is to be the trigger for the utilization of all the resources of the Cypriot countryside.
That is why Measure 7 aimed at subsidizing public infrastructure projects in order to encourage the development and promotion of environmental and socio-economic sustainability, the development of broadband networks, the upgrading of the anthropogenic environment (village regeneration and projects for the preservation and upgrading of cultural and natural heritage), the promotion of infrastructure for the purpose of housing community services (including cultural and recreational infrastructure). and tourism infrastructure, with a view to encouraging rural tourism.
These projects, together with other available financial incentives or aid, should contribute to the Union's priorities for rural areas, namely supporting and retaining the population but also increasing employment by encouraging the creation of new businesses and opportunities.
The main concern is to achieve the objectives of Rural Development and the Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and to achieve EU priority 6 for Rural Development: "Promoting social inclusion, poverty reduction and economic development in rural areas", with a focus on the following areas:
>> Facilitating the diversification, creation and growth of small businesses and jobs.
>> promoting local development in rural areas.
>> Enhancing the accessibility of the use and quality of information and communication technologies in rural areas.
Strengthening Agrotourism
It should also be mentioned that during the previous programming periods, infrastructure projects, such as tourist routes, museums, environmental centers, excursion sites in the countryside, have been created in the countryside or are in the process of implementation, through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), while at the same time various Support Schemes for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (e.g. Agrotourism) have been operated. Specifically, within the framework of the Rural Development Programme (RDP) and through Axis 3, a large number of projects were implemented to preserve and upgrade the built environment, social infrastructure and cultural tradition, with the aim of upgrading the quality of life of the inhabitants and preserving the local population, especially the young. In addition, projects and actions have been implemented to support and encourage private investments in the field of Agrotourism with the aim of promoting a mild tourism development as the main outlet for economic diversification with the ultimate goal, in addition to retaining the local population, highlighting the remarkable environmental and cultural elements of the countryside, attracting tourists with special interests and enhancing the sale of local products.
