Successful Cross-border Cooperation between Hungary and Romania: Implementation of Some 90 Projects Underway16 February 2010
Three calls for applications, funding amounting to 3.6 billion HUF (13 million EUR) approved so far, implementation of some 90 projects in progress – this is the current balance of the Hungary-Romania Cross-border Cooperation Programme 2007-2013 managed by the National Development Agency.
The third round of calls of this Programme announced back in October last year and allocated an EU funding framework amounting to a total of 5 billion HUF (20 million EUR) for implementing the cross-border projects selected has also been closed.
Applicants had over three months to submit applications, over which period a total of 280 applications were received. Similarly to calls announced earlier, applicants could apply for maximum 1.5 million EUR per specific area, mostly for preparing major investments or implementing projects involving cooperation (in the field of transport, information flow, environmental protection, or labour market, research and development, innovation, education, healthcare and cooperation between communities). Applications are being processed on an ongoing basis. According to data available at present, the highest number of applications was submitted in the area of intervention called "Cooperation between communities". Projects geared towards joint research development and innovation, as well as cooperation between educational institutions were just as popular. The Programme’s Joint Steering Committee (JSC) selects projects after assessing applications in terms of their form, as well as content. A total of 13 million EUR was distributed among some 90 projects within the framework of the first call of this Programme. The implementation of these projects is currently in progress.
This is how, among others, a regional news agency and economic network was set up within the framework of cooperation forged between Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County and Satu Mare County by investing EU funding amounting to over 800,000 EUR. The project bearing the title EU-Goal 2009-2010 was also approved funding, within the framework of which 16 sports associations operating in Békés County and Arad County (8 from Hungary and 8 from Romania) are joining forces to organise several championships and training camps for local sports persons, hence strengthening sports life in the region. The project specifically focusing on exhibiting the indigenous fauna of the Carpathian Basin came to life through the cooperation of Szeged Zoo – the largest zoo in the country designated as a protected natural area– and Timisoara Zoo. The number of species accommodated at the zoo will increase, touch-screens will be set up to guide visitors and information programmes will be organised for children as an outcome of this project. The Hajdú-Bihar County Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Bihor County Association of Entrepreneurs was approved funding to set up a cross-border entrepreneurial network. This project explicitly prioritises supporting cooperation initiatives in order to increase the competitiveness of enterprises operating on both sides of the border.
The second call for applications has not yet been closed in view of how applications are selected within the framework of a 2-round procedure. Applications recommended by the JSC will proceed through to the second round. Applicants proceeding through to this round have until 6 June 2010 at the latest to submit the detailed versions and full documentation of their respective projects. EU funding amounting to some 87 million EUR is available within the framework of this call.
Up to the end of the programming period (2013), new resources are expected to be opened each year in autumn, except in the case of major infrastructure investments, in which area new calls will be announced every 2 years.
For further information about the programme, the list of applicants approved funding so far, as well as calls currently open visit the website www.huro-cbc.hu.