Hungarian-Slovak cross-border developments29 February 2008
The Slovakian and Hungarian regional development agencies, local governments and non-profit and social organisations held professional consultation on 26 February organised by the National Development Agency and the State Secretariat for Minority and National Policies of the Prime Minster’s Office.
The consultation focused on the Hungarian-Slovak border region operational programme promoting European Territorial Cooperation. The priorities of the operational programme equally promote the economic development of border regions, the protection of environmental and natural values, facilitating border crossing, as well as the development of the relations of residents living in these regions. Approximately 200 million Euros has been earmarked up to 2013 for financing the operational programme. Non-profit organisations operating in the region, more specifically local governments and the associations of these, joint organisations of enterprises, as well as civil organisations are the beneficiaries of the programme. The fundamental criterion for submitting applications is that every programme must be jointly elaborated by the participating partners and must equally engender results on both sides of the border. Consequently, the programme – as a continuation and development of the INTERREG programmes running earlier – requires close cooperation of organisations operating in the border region of the two countries.
The participants of the consultation held on 26 February reviewed the content of the operational programme that was recently approved and gained insight into the procedural rules of the operational programme. The organisations were also provided help in connection with the professional elaboration/formulation of the calls for applications to be launched at a later date.
Participants consulted on the cooperation required and received information on joint programme planning at the meeting, the aim of which is to be able to launch preparation for the receipt of EU funding along the Slovak-Hungarian border region as soon as possible.