European Grouping of Cross-Border Cooperation 2007-2013
The fundamental framework for cross-border, national and interregional cooperation in the period between 2007 and 2013 is the European Grouping of Cross-Border Cooperation (EGCC), as Objective 3. Its target is to enhance cross-border cooperation through joint local and regional initiatives, trans-national cooperation through measures related to community priorities leading to integrated regional development, and interregional cooperation and exchange of experience on the respective regional level. The experience gained in Hungary in the past ten years in the implementation of INTERREG Community Initiative programmes between 2004 and 2006, the Phare CBC, Credo and other related Phare institution development programmes, provides a firm foundation for the implementation of the EGCC programmes.
The proportion of available funds per programme type is as follows:
Cross-border cooperation programmes: 73.86%
Trans-national region: 20.95%
Interregional cooperation: 5.19%
The organisation of programmes is performed in a uniform structure irrespective of the territorial division determined by state borders, with the application of joint projects, joint decision-making and joint budgets. In contrast with sectoral and regional programmes, it is not in areas with independent administrative structures or independent legal systems where cooperation like this is established. In relation to this, based on the cross-border pattern of these programmes, the institutions participating in running and organising the programmes proceed with a joint system of institutions in accordance with rules laid down in agreements. The role of the Governing Authority and the concomitant range of duties fall to Hungary in six programmes:
- South-eastern European Trans-national Cooperation Programme- Hungary-Slovakia and Hungary
- Romania, as inner European Grouping of Cross-Border Cooperation programmes,
- Hungary-Croatia and Hungary-Serbia as IPA CBC programmes
- Hungary-Romania-Slovakia-Ukraine ENPI CBC programme
Hungary participates in three further EGCC programmes:
- Central-European Trans-national Cooperation Programme
- Austria-Hungary Regional Cooperation Programme
- Slovenia-Hungary Cross-border Cooperation Programme
The project selection is undertaken by the Joint Monitoring Committee – JMC – supervising and making strategic decisions about the programmes. The partner countries are represented in the JMC in equal proportions.
Domestic applicants can receive assistance from the co-workers of the Joint Secretaries of the programmes in preparation of the projects and in partnership opportunities (e.g. database maintenance, the organisation of partnership search opportunities).
