Today, on 27 March 2017, the Subsidy contracts for the co-financing with funds from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) were signed in the frame of the Cooperation Programme Interreg V-A Slovenia-Hungary for the programme period 2014-2020. In the period 2014-2020, the already very successful cross-border cooperation between the two countries will continue and will be further strengthened and also in the future a large number of successful connections on both sides of the border, and projects that will contribute to improving the quality of life of the inhabitants of the common border area are anticipated. The projects through which cross-border relations are practically made, ultimately contribute to the understanding of diversity, enrich us mentally and conceptually and promote awareness that our neighbourhood is not foreign but part of a common Europe.
The ongoing Open Call with several deadlines for the submission of project applications, in the frame of which the Subsidy contracts were signed today, was published in December 2015. For funds in the amount of a little less than 14,8 million euros ERDF, the beneficiaries from both sides of the border (4 regions are eligible: in Slovenia Pomurska and Podravska; and in Hungary counties Vas and Zala) were able to submit their projects, content wise related to conserving, protecting, promoting and developing natural and cultural heritage and enhancing institutional capacity and an efficient public administration. The second submission deadline closed in July 2016, the final decision on the approval was adopted by the programme’s Monitoring Committee, consisting of representative of both Member States, in the beginning of January 2017. 5 projects (46 applications were submitted) in the total value of 5,7 million euros ERDF were approved for co-financing, aiming at long-term effects by using the cross-border potential in the areas of tourism, public services, natural and cultural heritage and sustainable inter-institutional integration. The official signing of the contracts was attended by representatives of three Lead Partners of the approved projects, namely GO IN NATURE, ESCAPE and Right Profession II.
The new approach of the programme, which builds on the simplification of procedures and the Open Call with several deadlines for the submission of project applications and is characterized by the use of an electronic monitoring system (eMS) for the submission and subsequent monitoring of projects (e-cohesion), significantly reduced the time-frame of procedures from the closure of the deadline for the submission of applications to the signing of subsidy contracts (to about 5 months).
The third deadline of the Open Call will close on 11 April 2017. The selection procedures for the projects should be completed by the end of September 2017, the following, fourth deadline for submission of applications, is expected to be published in early 2018. Information about the available funds and the exact date of the deadline will be available on the programme website at least two months prior to the closure of the deadline.
We would like to inform you that on Thuesday, 11 April 2017 at 12.00 p.m. the 3rd deadline for the submission of project applications in the frame of the Open Call for Proposals of the Cooperation Programme Interreg V-A Slovenia-Hungary will expired.
