Public Action and Territorial Development : The LEADER Approach in the Recomposition of Rural Spaces in Languedoc-Roussillon (France) and Andalusia (Spain)

International audienceThis article presents a study of the European programme LEADER 2007–2013 in its role as a public policy mechanism for enhancing territorial development.It focuses on the Local ActionGroups (LAGs) in the Languedoc-Roussillon region inFrance and the Andalusia region in Spain and their efforts to tackle the developmentproblems of rural areas. In our geographical analysis we combine the processing ofstatistical data with a case study in an attempt to assess the relationship betweenpublic action and the socioeconomic development of rural areas. This analysis usesthe concept of territorial capital as a base for characterizing the different methods forcoordinating local development action. The LAGs operate on the principles of local,bottom-up governance and are intended to be action systems that design developmentstrategies and implement projects based on the enhancement and promotion of localresources. This study shows that the LEADER approach varies according to theparticular geographical context and depends on local stakeholders learning the rulesof public policy