Maribor, 21 September 2012 – European Cooperation Day, which is organised under the auspices of the European Commission and the programme INTERACT, is celebrated today throughout Europe. In the framework of the events, joined with the slogan “Sharing borders, growing closer”, the programmes of cross-border cooperation are presented. In Slovenia, the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, in the role of the Managing Authority for the programmes of cross-border cooperation with Austria, Hungary and Croatia for the programming period 2007–2013, organised a project market, which took place at the square Trg Leona Štuklja in Maribor. All the programmes of cross-border cooperation and the individual projects, which are implemented in the framework of these three programmes, were presented. In 2004 with the help of the EU funds Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary prepared a trilateral programme of cross-border cooperation to better prepare for the consequences of expansion and to strengthen the relationships between the countries. The programme gave the basis for the development and implementation of joint development programmes in the field of economic and social cohesion, development of human resources and sustainable development. This paved the way for the new programmes of cross-border cooperation of Slovenia with Croatia and Hungary in the current programming period 2007–2013. Today, Slovenia successfully continues with the implementation of cross-border cooperation with Austria in the programming period 2000–2006. On the basis of good relationships of both countries included in the programme, numerous bilateral projects were designed and the results of these projects are visible on both sides of the border. The projects, which are designed in the framework of the Operational Programme Slovenia–Austria 2007–2013, strengthen the knowledge of border regions and contribute to cross-border cooperation in the field of competitiveness, knowledge and economic cooperation as well sustainable development. As was underlined by the keynote speaker at the project market Marko Drofenik, Acting Director-General of the Regional Development and European Territorial Cooperation Directorate at the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, numerous good and successful projects were implemented in the framework of the cross-border cooperation between Slovenia and the neighbouring countries (projects in the field of the promotion and economy and the promotion and strengthening of small and medium-sized enterprises, their cooperation and joint activity in the markets, projects that promote cultural exchanges and events, regional development, natural resource management, social and cultural development, projects dealing with the environment and energy and the cooperation between institutions such as public health services and fire brigades, projects in the field of tourism, aimed at the establishment of joint cross-border tourist destinations). The Acting Director-General said that in the framework of the Operational Programme Slovenia–Austria two joint public calls for proposals were published in the current programming period. In the framework of these two calls 69 projects in the overall value of 62,587,641.73 Euros (99.2 percent of the available funds) were approved. Two public calls for proposals were also published in the framework of the Operational Programme Slovenia–Hungary. In the framework of these two calls 40 projects in the overall value of 29,131,640.66 Euros (99.50 percent of the available funds) were approved. 45 projects in the overall value of 26,044,074.90 Euros (67.8 percent of the available funds) were approved in the framework of the Operational Programme Slovenia–Croatia, in the framework of which three public calls for proposals were published thus far. For the last, i.e. third call for proposals, worth 10,817,946 Euros of the IPA funds, the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology received 227 project proposals which are currently being evaluated for administrative adequacy and eligibility. As was underlined by the Marko Drofenik, Acting Director-General, Slovenia is aware of the importance of economic and political cooperation of the neighbouring countries and the importance of a harmonious development of regions. “On the basis of the promotion of a harmonious and sustainable regional development, competitiveness and knowledge and economic cooperation in the programme area, the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, together with the cross-border partners, tries to ensure the conditions and the opportunities for the potential applicants to realise their projects, with a certain amount of financial aid, and, thus, contribute to the development of regions and the realisation of the objectives of the individual programmes”. You can find more about the individual cross-border programme at: http://www.mgrt.gov.si/en/ http://www.si-at.eu/start_en/ http://www.si-hu.eu/si2/start_en/ http://www.si-hr.eu/start_en/