CLLD territory. Urban areas. When supporting CLLD, the priority is given to territories where ITIs and integrated sustainable urban development actions are implemented. CLLD is a mandatory part of ITIs for territories of integrated sustainable urban development actions, i.e. target territories identified in 5 major cities (up to 7 target territories, with the average population of 30,000–40,000 each). In the competitive selection of strategies other ITI implementation territories are prioritised (in the category of small and medium-sized cities, which includes cities with population over 6,000 and smaller municipal centres): identified target territories (in these areas CLLD is implemented as part of ITIs, where the CLLD strategy contributes to the integrated territorial development programme); territories related with target territories; target territories identified in 2007–2013 (territories of transitional period). CLLD-supported actions may also be implemented in other cities with population above 6,000 and smaller municipal centres (including parts of large cities, small towns and medium-sized cities where ITIs will not be implemented), where they are clearly conducive to the implementation of the Operational Programme for the EU Funds’ Investments in 2014–2020 (selecting strategies through tender). A territory of an urban LAG refers to a part of a city, a city with a population above 6 thou, a city with the status of a municipal centre, or an agglomeration of several cities, with the population above 6,000 or with the status of a municipal centre, with the total population from 6,000 to 150,000. An exception is provided for to ensure the contribution of CLLD to the implementation of ITIs in territories where integrated territorial development programmes are run, i.e. in cities with the population above 6,000 and in smaller municipal centres. The population in most of the Lithuanian municipal centres is under 10,00 (25 of 55 municipal centres). In sparsely populated areas, however, these cities perform the same functions and deal with the same challenges as larger urban centres. The aim is to implement LDSs in socially, economically, and geographically single territories, but this would be virtually impossible if geographically separated cities whose communities are not connected with each other in any way are artificially merged. In case of extraordinary conditions (very sparsely populated areas, natural obstacles, large distances to the closest city or agglomeratio...
