ERDF Subsidy contracts signed

Yesterday, on 7 November 2017, 5 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. Together with the 6 projects that are already being implemented and the two projects that will sign their contracts afterwards, there are 13 approved projects in the frame of the programme that will, in the period 2014-2020, strengthen the already very successful cross-border cooperation between the two countries. The latter will, also in the future, ensure 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. 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 third submission deadline closed in April 2017, 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 July 2017. 7 projects (26 applications were submitted) in the total value of 3 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 five Lead Partners of the approved projects, namely TELE-KA-LAND, MURA RABA TOUR, Horse based tourism – HBT, e-documenta Pannonica and Back in the day.

The forth deadline of the Open Call will close on 14 November 2017. The selection procedures for the projects should be completed in the mid of March 2018, the following. 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.

Information on the approved projects is available under the following link.

News by TV AS about the event can be watched here.

News by RTV SLO about the event can be watched here.

 

NOTICE ON THE EXPIRATION OF THE 4th DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF PROJECT APPLICATIONS

deadlineWe would like to inform you that on Tuesday, 14 November 2017 at 12.00 p.m. the 4th 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.

 

Available funds for the 4th deadline can be seen in the following graph:

In connection with the upcoming expiry of the deadline we encourage you to submit your project application as soon as possible and not to wait until the very last moment.

The Open Call and the application pack are available on the programme’s website.

We wish you a successful submission!

 

Signing ceremonial and opening conference of the project Guide2Visit

On 26 October 2017 in Szentgotthard/Monošter, Hungary the Subsidy contract for the co-financing with funds from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for the project Guide2Visit approved in the frame of the 2nd deadline in the frame of the Cooperation Programme Interreg V-A Slovenia-Hungary for the programme period 2014-2020 was signed.

Knowledge exchange with the Central Baltic

This week, representatives of the Cooperation Programmes Interreg V-A Slovenia-Hungary, Slovenia-Austria and Slovenia-Croatia, visited the Central Baltic Programme in Turku, Finland, where they met the Head of the Managing Authority Merike Niitepõld and the programme’s IT manager Veli-Pekka Suuronen. The visit focused on the programme and beneficiary use of the eMS. The beneficiary’s point of view was represented by the Baltic Urban Lab project.

The cooperation was established in the TAIEX REGIO PEER 2 PEER framework which provides opportunities to exchange knowledge, good practices and practical solutions to concrete problems between organisations managing European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Cohesion Fund fundings.

 

 

 

 

Signed Agreement on mutual cooperation

The Managing Authority, the Certifying Authority and the Audit Authority of the Cooperation Programmes Interreg V-A Slovenia-Hungary, Interreg V-A Slovenia-Croatia and Interreg V-A Slovenia-Austria, presented their working activities at the joint meeting and took note of the progress made in the implementation of programs and signed the Agreement on mutual cooperation.

 

 

 

Presentation of the Mura Raba tour to the Slovene member of the European Parliament

On 29 September 2017, at the meeting with the Slovene member of the European Parliament, dr. Igor Šoltes at the EU House in Ljubljana, also the Mura Raba tour project co-financed under the first priority axis (Attractive region) of the Cooperation program Interreg V-A Slovenia-Hungary has been presented.

In three years, the project partnership will create a tourist product Mura Raba tour with 4 programs: water, equestrian, hiking and cultural tourism. On the new cross-border waterway it will be possible to ride with rafts and canoes, learn about the paths and secrets of the Kruci rebels and the history of the border guards in the new museum collection placed in the guard in Čepinci. Alongside the former Iron Curtain, you will walk, ride, and ride horse-drawn. In the meantime, overnight stay at one of the local providers or in a renovated camp near Raba.

 

Hike in the frame of the European Cooperation Day to the » Pohorje hill of Maribor«

For the sixth consecutive year, events were held throughout Europe in the frame of the European Cooperation Day 2017 (EC Day 2017) under the auspices of the European Commission and the INTERACT programme. The aim was to present the projects and programmes by the Member States that are implemented with funds from the European Regional Development Fund. Slovenia and Hungary have in the frame of their cooperation already implemented a number of successful cross-border projects in the field of tourism, culture, regional development, natural heritage, environment, energy, etc., which constitute the identity of the border region. Some of them have been introduced to the participants of hike on Pohorje hill of Maribor which was, in the frame of the EC Day 2017, organized by the cross-border cooperation programmes between Slovenia and Hungary, between Slovenia and Austria and between Slovenia-Croatia in the programme period 2014-2020.

A group of 350 participants, from Slovenia, Hungary, Austria and Croatia, went to Pohorje with a cable car from the lower station of the Maribor funicular. The path led hikers to the church of Sv. Bolfenka, director of the European Territorial Cooperation and Financial Mechanisms Office in the Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy, Head of the Managing Authority for Cross-Border Cooperation programs, mag. Nina Seljak, greeted the audience. Prior to departure to the next point, the participants were presented with the DETOX project, co-financed by the Cooperation Program Interreg V-A Slovenia-Croatia. The main objective of the project is to preserve the ethnological heritage of the rural area and to integrate it into a cross-border tourist package. The project aims to achieve a cohesive and attractive tourist offer by reviving ethno tourism and increasing the number of visitors to the cultural heritage.

Hikers went on to look at the lookout tower where the Mura Raba Tour project was presented. The project partners of the project, which will be co-financed under the Cooperation program Interreg V-A Slovenia-Hungary, will prepare a tourist product Mura Raba Tour with four programs: water, equestrian, hiking and cultural tourism. On the new cross-border waterway it will be possible to ride with rafts and canoes, to discover the paths and secrets of the rebels Kruci and the history of the border guards in the new museum collection placed in the guard in Čepinci.

The hike ended at the cabin Mariborska koča, where as the last the project PalaeoDiversiStyria co-financed under the Cooperation program Interreg V-A Slovenia-Austria was presented. The project attempts to communicate new archeological and archeobotanical findings in order to promote understanding of cultural heritage and tradition in agriculture. The project partners set out as key objectives the activities that will lead to the identification of the original plant and animal species at archaeological sites to revitalize the cultivation and use of the original autochthonous cultivated plant species to their inclusion in the offer of the program area.

As mag. Nina Seljak explained, with the cooperation in the frame of the European Cooperation Day, Slovenia wants to demonstrate that our common borders join us in the context of cross-border cooperation programmes. “These programmes aim at achieving the central objective of the EU cohesion policy, namely to increase economic and social cohesion of the participating countries with a view to promoting harmonious, balanced and sustainable development,” she stressed and wished cross-border partners a lot of openness for new ideas and a lucky hand and a lot of courage with the preparation and implementation of projects.

On the basis of open calls for proposals in the framework of three cross-border cooperation programs, 54 projects have already been approved (on the program Slovenia-Austria 23, on the program Slovenia-Hungary 13 and on the program Slovenia-Croatia 18).

The event was, among other things, an opportunity to exchange experiences, opinions and, of course, socializing among representatives of various institutions and the public.

More pictures can be seen on the following link.

News by TV AS about the event can be watched here.

 

Signing ceremonial and opening conference of the project Iron Curtain Cycling

Yesterday on 18 September 2017 in Lenti, Hungary the Subsidy contract for the co-financing with funds from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for the project Iron Curtain Cycling approved in the frame of the 2nd deadline in the frame of the Cooperation Programme Interreg V-A Slovenia-Hungary for the programme period 2014-2020 was signed.

INVITATION TO THE HIKE ON POHORJE HILL!

You are invited to attend the hike on the Mariborsko Pohorje on Saturday, 23 September 2017 in the framework of the European Cooperation Day (EC DAY) 2017.

The event is organized by the Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy in the framework of three cross-border cooperation programs Interreg V-A Slovenia-Hungary, Slovenia-Croatia and Slovenia-Austria and is free for the participants.

The hike will take place along an undemanding forest path and will be a great opportunity for socializing between the programs and participants of the hike. You are invited together with your families! Join us and get to know our programs and projects!

The organizers provide bus transportation from program areas, free riding with funicular, food, drinks and live music, and you a good mood! All registered participants in the event will also receive a backpack.
As the number of participants is limited, we kindly ask you to register as soon as possible on the fallowing website: www.si-at.eu/en2/ec-day-2017. If you attend the event with organized bus transportation, be careful when choosing an entry point and the departure time. Participation in the hike is at your own risk. If you join us and you will need to cross the border, please make sure to carry the valid identity document (personal, passport).

 

Invitation with the program.

Description of the stops.

Overview of the bus routes.

 

For more information about EC DAY visit EC DAY 2017.

Report on the evaluation of the Cooperation Program Interreg V-A Slovenia- Hungary

According to the evaluation plan for 2014-2020, the Managing Authority and the Joint Secretariat have commissioned the evaluation of the cross-border cooperation Programme Interreg V-A Slovenia-Hungary, which was carried out by Novna razvoj d.o.o.