New institutions in European rural development programmes:: Between the top-down and bottom-up approach.: The case of Andalusia (Southern Spain)

For decades, rural development programmes have been characterised by the implementation of non-coordinated sector and top-down policies and strategies. The failure of these policies as well as the present decentralising movements, initiated local development initiatives based on bottom-up planning and on public-private partnerships. However, these processes coexist in the territory with other rural development organisations, creating a leadership conflict between initiatives. This paper aims to identify some limitations faced by the local action groups of Andalusia. These limitations arise from the difficulty of harmonising the top-down and bottom-up processes. The relief of these limitations is essential in order to consolidate the role of new institutions and of a rural development model based on a territorial approach.