The introduction of the European Territorial Cooperation on the Danube26 November 2012
On Friday the invitees, the visitors and the pedestrians passing by the Budapest Vigadó Square could see the exhibition from the projects of the South Eastern Europe Programme (SEE) implemented in the framework of the EU. The event was part of the series of events entitled European Cooperation Day, organized with the participation of 77 European territorial cooperation programmes.
The European Cooperation Day was celebrated for the first time this year in the European Union and in the neighbouring countries, involving 77 cooperation programs. The visitors could get acquainted with the European territorial cooperation and its results through over one hundred local events across the European countries during the week of 17 - 23 September 2012.
The SEE Programme is implemented within the European Union Territorial Cooperation Objective framework with a budget of around HUF 64 billion, enabling the implementation of international projects throughout the South East European region. The initiative involved 16 countries - including EU Member States, candidate countries and third countries -, and the objective of their common activities is to contribute to making the region more competitive and integrated.
The SEE Programme organized a local event in Budapest - home to its governing bodies -, with the objective to make the European Territorial Cooperation and especially the South East Europe Transnational Cooperation Programme more widely known among the general public.
An interactive exhibition presented the developments implemented as part of the SEE Programme on a standing ship on the Budapest section of the Danube, this way emphasizing the symbolic significance of the Danube, with respect to the program area. There were a total of 13 projects presented to the general public, many of which covered Danube-related activities, but the areas of activities were widely varied, such as food processing and digital television or environment protection.
At the event Mr Balázs Simó, the head of the managing authority of the SEE Programme, the General Director of the National Development Agency’s Managing Authority for International Cooperation Programmes briefly summarized the achievements of the SEE Programme implemented since 2007, and also referred to the connections between the Programme and the Danube macro-regional strategies. Mr Balazs Medgyesy Government Commissioner responsible for managing the government activities in connection with the EU Danube Region Strategy emphasized the importance of the Macro-regional Strategy for the Danube and the potentials involved for the population of the South East European region.
The aim of the events was to celebrate the cooperation among European regions and countries. The results are well illustrated by the fact that since the beginning of the 90’s more than 20,000 projects have been implemented co-financed by the European Union within the European territorial cooperation objective, which produced positive cross-border effects on job creation, environmental protection, health services development, transport and energy management, among others. The European Cooperation Day was implemented with the support of the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of Regions.
Additional information on the SEE Programme and the European Cooperation Day is available at the following addresses:
www.southeast-europe.net
www.ecday.eu