Hungarian-Slovak Partnership Developing from Community Funding12 May 2010
Projects awarded funding under the second call for applications announced within the framework of the Hungary-Slovakia Cross-Border Cooperation Programme have been selected. Funding amounting to approximately 53 million EUR made available by ERDF was distributed among projects within the framework of this call, alongside an additional 11 million EUR for second-round applications submitted earlier. The first series of assistance contracts are expected to be concluded from August.
The second call for applications of the Hungary-Slovakia Cross-Border Cooperation Programme 2007-2013 was announced on 29 June 2009, within which framework funding was made available for Hungarian-Slovak cooperation ventures primarily to be implemented in the field of sustainable economic development, tourism, human resource development, education, cultural cooperation, environmental protection and infrastructure development.
270 first-round applications and 17 second-round detailed applications were received from Hungarian and Slovak counties situated in the border region in response to the call that closed in the final quarter of 2009. 107 project concepts were approved pursuant to the decision made at the Joint Monitoring Committee meeting. In the case of first-round applications, the 107 applications submitted applied for funding amounting to 53 million EUR, whilst applications proceeding through to the second round applied for funding amounting to over 11 million EUR, which is, on average, complemented by 10% state co-financing and 5% own funds contributed by applicants.
Joint tourism developments and building relations among people were the most popular areas of intervention in the case of the first priority. A total of 118 applications applying for over five and eight times the available framework were received in response to these calls.
Several environmental protection projects will be implemented within the framework of the second priority of the programme. Moreover, it will also be possible to construct numerous bicycle roads and by-roads, as well as two bridges spanning the River Ipoly. Each project will be implemented by integrating Hungarian and Slovak partners and in close cooperation.
Three new measures introduced in the second round were exceptionally popular. A total of 43 projects showed interest in funding made available in the following areas: R+D and innovation, joint development of healthcare facilities, development of cross-border communication channels.
In Sátoraljaújhely, for example, emergency services will be developed and portable examination devices will be procured. A continuous bicycle road spanning across the border will be created between Kosice and Sárospatak by constructing new stretches to connect bicycle roads that already exist. The project bearing the title “Information and opportunities on the World Wide Web with the help of wireless Internet connections” will be launched on both sides of the border for people living in deep poverty. Joint cultural developments will also be implemented, like further developing the twin town relationship established between Tata and Szőgye over 13 years ago by organising joint family programmes, evening theatre performances and art camps.
The way in which the Joint Evaluation Committee supported the integration of the Roma population in developments during the course of the evaluation procedure by awarding extra points was a new component of this call.
Eligible partnerships may continue to apply in various areas within the framework of the third call for applications to be announced in autumn 2010. Funding amounting to around 37 million EUR is expected to be made available via the open tendering system applied so far.
Background:
The Hungary-Slovakia Cross-Border Cooperation Programme – as a continuation of the INTERREG Programme announced earlier and running during the 2007-2013-period – grants European Union funding for cooperation to be launched in the border regions. Győr-Moson-Sopron County, Komárom-Esztergom County, Nógrád County, Heves County, Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County, Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County and Pest County, as well as Budapest will be participating in the Programme on the Hungarian side; whilst Bratislava, Trnava, Nitra, Banska Bystrica and Kosice District will be participating on the Slovak side. Applications may, among others, be submitted in the following areas within the framework of the Programme: cross-border business cooperation; R+D and innovation cooperation; joint tourism projects; healthcare and risk prevention; development of partnership, programme and project management capacities; joint utilization and development of human resources; cross-border environmental and nature protection projects; small-scale transport infrastructure developments, as well as IT developments.
For further information on the Programme and the list of projects approved funding visit the Programme’s website (www.husk-cbc.eu) or write to us at the following address: info@husk-cbc.eu.