About the project
Programme: Operational Programme for Cross-border Cooperation: Czech Republic – Republic of Poland, 2007-2013
Priority axis: 3 Supporting local communities’ cooperation
Field of support: 3.1 Territorial cooperation among public services institutions
Project implementation period: January 2012 – December 2014
Total budget of the project: 269,633.03 €
Funding from EFRD (85%): 229,188.04 €
Objectives
The project aims at developing the project partners’ areas through enhancing their cross-border cooperation.
The long-term objective of the project partners is to institutionalise their cooperation through the creation of the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC). This grouping may be regarded as a new means of territorial cooperation among all main actors functioning on Poland-Czech border area, especially when the cohesion policy and, in particular, regional cooperation enters a period of significant changes. EGTC is a new European legal instrument, designed to enable regional and local authorities from different Member States to set up cooperation groupings with a legal personality.
Project description
To define strategic fields of cross-border cooperation and determine barriers to their growth, joint Strategy for integrated cooperation 2014-2020 will be developed. It will be a concept paper which will introduce solutions and a concrete plan of their implementation. The joint project will strengthen the relations between the partners and provide a chance for sustainable development of these areas.
The project includes tasks which will contribute to a better understanding of the cooperating partners. These tasks, among all, comprise legal analyses of the hierarchy and powers of particular levels of administration in Poland and Czech Republic, analysis of the legislative process, aspects crucial for the creation of EGTC on Poland-Czech border area (tax issues, legal issues, labour work framework etc.) as well as experiences related to the funding policy. All that will be complemented with exchange internships for employees. During the project ending phase, the partners will sign the agreement for cooperation which will determine further tasks to be carried out cooperatively after the end of the project.
Project main tasks
- developing a joint Strategy for integrated cooperation 2014-2020 – analyses related to the possibility of enhancement of cross-border cooperation through the creation of an European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation,
- conducting legal analysis for Polish and Czech areas of the project (competence of the future EGTC partners, legal issues, office, secretariat, labour law relationship, tax and audit issues,
- annual subscription fees etc.),
- creating the project webpage (www.4cbc.eu),
- meetings between the project team and the expert team,
- exchange internships for employees of the project partner’ institutions,
- establishing and running the project office.
Results
- strengthening cooperation and communication between the project partners,
- increasing the interest in cross-border cooperation, also among those who didn’t participate in the project,
- creating a framework for jointly solving key problematic areas through the development of the Strategy for integrated cooperation 2014-2020,
- implementing future joint projects,
- exchanging expertise and good practices between the project partners and beginning a new sphere of quality cooperation through the implementation of a joint Strategy – capturing the partners areas as a whole,
- enhancing competitiveness on Poland-Czech border areas.
