February 9, 2021. Zoom – CENN will host its second meeting of the Steering Committee established within the framework of the EU ENPARD supported “EMBRACE Tsalka” project. The event will take place on February 9 via the online ZOOM platform.

The Tsalka Local Action Group (LAG) has been established and is actively working within the framework of the ‘EMBRACE Tsalka’ Project. The Local Development Strategy Document and Action Plan have been developed taking into account the needs set out in the Strategy Document, the first grant competition was successfully completed in Tsalka Municipality, within which 15 projects were funded, and 3 Memoranda of Understanding were signed with private, public and educational institutions. Furthermore, a 15-member Mediation and Civic Engagement task force Committee has been established, which actively works to address the challenges in the municipality using modern advocacy mechanisms, and more than 40 educational and integration support meetings were held.

During the meeting, the invited guests will get acquainted with the activities carried out within the framework of the projects, as well as discuss the future activities of the projects in order to effectively collaborate with other projects within the ENPARD program for successful future activities.

In addition, representatives of the various ENPARD Programs and LAGs will present the results achieved within the project, which will facilitate the development of cooperation between projects.

The event will host representatives from the Ministry of the Environment Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, Delegation of the European Union to Georgia, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Georgia, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Georgia and other ENPARD partner organizations in the country. This networking platform will be a good opportunity to build connections and partnership opportunities among participants, exchange feedback or suggestions for further development and share experiences.

The EU-supported ENPARD project “Embrace Tsalka” is implemented by CENN in partnership with , in partnership with the Georgian Farmers’ Association (GFA) and German partner organization – Institute for Rural Development Research (IfLS).The project aims at diversifying local economic activities, improving the investment climate, and empowering competitive agricultural and environmental practices in Tsalka Municipality via bottom-up strategic planning of rural development.

The EU is supporting agriculture and rural development in Georgia through its ENPARD Programme. Implemented since 2013 with a total budget of EUR 179.5 million, the main goal of ENPARD is to reduce rural poverty in Georgia. The first phase of ENPARD in Georgia focused on developing the potential of agriculture. The second and third phases of ENPARD focus on creating economic opportunities for rural populations that go beyond agricultural activities. More information on ENPARD is available at: www.enpard.ge.

Media Contacts:

• Melano Tkabladze, CENN Project Manager, melano.tkabladze@cenn.org
• Marie Kikvadze, CENN Communications Manager, marie.kikvadze@cenn.org