In Romania, the LEADER approach continues in its second implementation period. The first LAGs were selected in 2011, less than a decade ago. In the 2014-2020 programming period, 239 Local Action Groups were funded, with a total budget of EUR 563 million [36]. The weak administrative capacity, the strong local negative political influences, and the high level of mistrust between actors inherited from the socialist era mostly explained the low LEADER success [31]. It has been noted that the policy instruments were inadequately implemented to local realities [37]. In addition, the quality of the LAG's Development Strategies was strongly influenced by the socio-economic **data** availability, proving to have low direct impacts especially in supporting the shift toward a low-carbon and climateresilient economy, and knowledge transfer and innovation [26]. Responding to the existing academic literature gaps on the LEADER approach, this paper aims to: (1) underline the most important tangible direct (non-LEADER) and indirect multiplier effects of the LAGs in Romania; (2) identify the enabling LAGs characteristics that can better maximize such multiplier effects in future rural development public policies; and (3) establish the conditions for maximizing the multiplication effects in future LEADER actions based on the awareness level of the LAGs managers. Thus, three hypotheses were formulated: H1 better multiplication results are obtained when the private and NGO partners are better engaged in the decision-making process of the Local Development Strategy; H2 LAGs with a larger and more experienced team are able to generate more consistent multiplication effects, by creating new projects supported from other non-LEADER funding; H3 more-experienced LAGs, with a greater capacity to involve partners, are generating better multiplier effects. The results can offer important insights and lessons regarding the implementation of Community-Led Local Development in countries with a weak participatory culture. LAGs should not act as one-off project but as an integral part in the sustainable development of European rural areas [5]. Therefore, the results should also indicate LAGs real level of sustainability. Are they able to continue their activity and to generate development in rural areas without LEADER funding?