Moravske Toplice, 5 March 2019 – The signing of Subsidy contracts from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the Cooperation Program Interreg V-A Slovenia-Hungary for the HOUSES and SENS NETWORK project took place as part of the “Speaking Cohesion?” event, organized by Lokalna razvojna fundacija za Pomurje (LRF) and carried out by CNVOS in Radio Študent. By signing these contracts, 92% of all available funds on the programme are contracted, which makes it one of the most successful at EU level.
Common or the key challenges of both participating countries are in particular in the field of preservation and protection of the environment – natural and architectural heritage, including their use in tourism and promotion of efficient use of resources. The main objective of the HOUSES project is to integrate cultural and architectural heritage, especially rural houses, into common tourist offers, thereby ensuring their preservation. Lead Partner Pannon Helyi Termék Kereskedelmi, Szolgáltató és Fejlesztő Nonprofit Korlátolt Felelősségű Társaság and three project partners Zalai Falvakért Egyesület, Society for the Sustainability of Resources SI.ENERGIJA and the Bistra Ptuj Science and Research Center, want to create a new cross-border tourist product in the framework of the project Routes of rural houses and thus increase the tourist visit in the cross-border area of Slovenia and Hungary.
Addressing the challenges of the border area the program tries to achieve, by supporting projects that strengthen institutional cooperation in the program area, a higher level of cross-border links. Thus, the objective of the SENS NETWORK project is to move cross-border and regional cooperation and economic indicators through the development of social entrepreneurship and to develop a methodology that can be used anywhere in the European Union after incorporating local needs. The possibility of cooperation with related institutions on the other side of the border contributes to the creation of permanent co-operation networks even after the end of the project, stressed the partners in the project Local Foundation for the Pomurje Foundation, as the Lead partner and Zala Zöld Szíve Vidékfejlesztési Egyesület as project partner.
The Subsidy contracts were signed by the representative of the lead partner Mr. Bojan Vogrinčič for the project SENS NETWORK and Ms. Renáta Inzsöl for the HOUSES project and Mr. Dimitrij Pur, the Head of the Managing Authority, the Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy. Mr. Pur expressed his satisfaction with the cooperation with the Hungarian partners, which, in his opinion, is also reflected in the high percentage of contracted programme funds. “Successful integration on both sides of the border is creating projects that contribute to raising the quality of life of the inhabitants of the common border area. Projects through which cross-border integration is also practiced in practice. I am glad that the challenges of the border area are trying to achieve the program by supporting projects that strengthen institutional cooperation in the program area to achieve a higher level of cross-border connections, ” also said Pur.
On 18 June 2019, the sixth deadline for the submission of project applications in the framework of a call for proposals is concluded. Applicants are applying for a residual ERDF amounting to over 1 million euros.
More information about the program and projects in implementation is available at: www.si-hu.eu.
