Predecessors
of the INTERREG Community Initiative
Cross
border cooperation programs in the period 1995 – 2003
Since
the beginning of the 1990s the EU paid more attention to the support
of the cross border cooperation development within its internal and
external borders as well as the cross border regions of the partner
states.
Phare
Cross border Cooperation (Phare CBC) can be considered as the
predecessor and the preparation instrument for the cross border
cooperation program INTERREG III A. Phare CBC Program aims to support
the development of the cross border contacts, dissolution of the
comparative development lagging of the cross border regions and the
facilitation of the border passability.
For
the moment in Hungary in the frame of the cross border cooperation
programs which have been started to implement since 1995 on the cross
border territory between Hungary and Austria and then were extended
to the Romania, Slovenian, and Slovak the amount of 135 millions was
used from the PHARE budget.
In
years 1999-2000 it has been implementing PHARE Program CREDO with the
extension for several countries. This Program created the possibility
for the cooperation in particular between Hungary and Slovakia as
well as between Hungary and Ukraine. In June 2003 the Experimental
Fund of the Small Facility Projects was created in the frame of the
cooperation between Hungary and Ukraine.
In
Slovakia in the period of 1995 – 2002 within PHARE CBC
cooperation
57,25 ml euro was spent for the development projects. The mentioned
resources were use mainly for the investment projects implementation
in the ecology (46%) and transport (21%) spheres.
In
1996 Ukraine participated to TACIS Cross Border Cooperation (CBC)
Program. European part Republics of the ex Soviet Union –
Russia,
Ukraine, Byelorussia and Moldova - are entitled to count on financial
support from the TACIS funding. Within 1996 – 2003 Ukraine
got
backing from the EU in the frame of TACIS CBC Program in the sphere
of the cross border infrastructure, environment and border regions
development.
Present
day and future of INTERREG Programs
2004
2006
After
the EU enlargement PHARE CBC and TACIS CBC Small Facility Programs
supporting cooperation in the Hungarian – Slovak –
Ukrainian
border region were substituted for Hungary – Slovakia-
Ukraine
Neibourhood Program INTERREG III A.
European
Community Initiative INTERREG operates since year 1990. Its prime
objective is to promote to the economic and social integrity by means
of cross border cooperation support and facilitate cooperation
between EU Members and Partner States.
The
EU Commission makes the recommendations to the EU Members concerning
the Initiatives in the capacity of Programs aiming at the
facilitation of the important spheres of cooperation regarding
development and the integrity of the whole European region.
At
the same time EU Commission defines Initiatives’ objectives,
priorities and financial frames. On the base of the mentioned data
the EU Member States, the parts of the territories of which create
border regions, submit joint and detailed proposition to EU
Commission.
The
Joint Authorities which have been created by the Member States in the
frame of every Program take the responsibility for the
Initiative’s
execution and the implementation of its objectives.
The
aim of the INTERREG III Initiative is the facilitation of the joint
projects’ elaboration and implementation at the level of the
municipalities and organizations of the border regions in the
interests of existing institutional and economic capacities,
increasing of the border regions economic potential and the
strengthening of the present one.
There
are three main forms of the INTERREG III cooperation:
-
cross border
cooperation (INTERREG III A)
-
transnational
cooperation (INTERREG III B)
-
inter regional
cooperation (INTERREG III C).
2007
- 2013
In
the next planning period the present Initiative INTERREG will be an
independent entity with a special purpose named “European
Regional
Cooperation”. Although the main direction of the cross border
cooperation will remain the development of the small and medium
enterprise, tourism, cross border trade, culture, joint economic
activity, facilitating to the cross border transport and
infrastructure network accession, promotion to the cross border water
waste management as well as the creation of the joint structures for
the health, culture and education protection.
Hungary
– Slovakia – Ukraine Neighbourhood Program 2004 2006
Thanks
to the INTERREG III A Program’s sources of funding the
possibility
appeared for the investment projects backing which are of a core
meaning from the cross border development point of view and different
forms of cooperation between the institutions and population on each
side of border.
Main
Program’s objectives:
-
promotion
for the economic and social development of the border regions;
-
joint
tackling of the problems in the environment, health protection,
prevention and fighting with the organized crime;
-
creation
of the safety and effective borders;
-
motivation
to the creation of the partnership interpersonal links.
Financing:
In
Hungary and Slovakia the Neighbourhood Program funding is made from
the European Regional and Development Fund and national co financing,
in Ukraine – from TACIS funding sources. For the period 2004
-2006
for the implementation of the mentioned Program Hungary can use 19,1
million euro accounting national co financing, Slovakia –
12,6 ml
euro. The overall amount available for Ukraine in the frame of the
TACIS Program is 4,5 ml euro.
Spheres
of cooperation:
-
economic
cooperation;
-
institutional
cooperation;
-
small
scale projects fund (cooperation between local municipalities also in
the sphere of culture);
-
environmental
protection and concerned small scale investments;
-
nature
protection
-
development
of the transport infrastructure and small scale telecommunications;
Non
profit legal persons who have at least one cross border partner from
the eligible border region and have legal address or a branch in the
Program’s area can participate in the Program’s
calls. In case of
Hungary also small and medium enterprises are entitled for
participation regarding the economic development priorities.
Eligible
border territory
In
Hungary: Gyõr-Moson-Sopron megye, Komárom-Esztergom megye,
Budapest fõváros, Pest megye, Nógrád
megye,
Heves megye, Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén megye,
Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg megye
In
Slovakia: Bratislavský kraj, Trnavský kraj,
Nitriansky
kraj, Banskobystrický kraj, Košický
kraj, Prešovský
kraj
In
Ukraine: Zakarpatska oblast
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