The first group of territorial cooperation programmes is formed of cross-border cooperation programmes, which will be implemented in regions at NUTS III level that are located along the internal and some external European Union land borders, as well as within the coastal areas separated from each other by up to 150 km.
In Poland the cross-border cooperation will cover sub-regions, which borders are the county’s borders. Compared to the 2004-2006 programming period, a novelty will be introduced enabling to cover the sub-regions along the Baltic Sea coast with the cross-border cooperation programme.
Projects financed under the cross-border programmes should encourage establishment of "across borders" relationships between local authorities, educational institutions, non-governmental organisations or cultural institutions. Each of the projects must also demonstrate a significant “cross-border influence."
The major objective of these type of programmes is promoting cooperation and direct contacts, which support economic and social development, as well as environmental protection in border regions usually characterised by lower development level compared to the average in the country.
Common cross-border activities will relate, inter alia, to the following issues:
-
support to entrepreneurship, development of small and medium-sized enterprises, tourism, culture and cross-border trade,
-
protection of natural and cultural property, prevention of natural and cultural risks,
-
encouraging connections between urban and rural areas,
-
improving access to transport, information and communication networks,
-
water management, waste management and power supply system,
-
development and common use of infrastructure, especially in such areas as health protection, culture and education,
-
administrative cooperation and local communities integration through delivery of joint actions on the labour market, promotion of gender equality (including equality between women and men), development of human resources and support to research and development sector.
As a result of arrangements made so far, the implementation of the following cross-border cooperation programmes with Polish participation was planned:
-
Poland (Zachodniopomorskie Voivodeship) – Germany (Mecklenburg/Vorpommern – Brandenburg)
-
Poland (Lubuskie Voivodeship) – Germany (Brandenburg)
-
Poland – Saxony
-
Poland – the Czech Republic
-
Poland – the Republic of Slovakia
-
Poland – the Republic of Lithuania
-
South Baltic (Poland – Sweden – Denmark – Lithuania – Germany)
Poland will manage 3 programmes:
-
South Baltic (Poland – Sweden – Denmark – Lithuania – Germany)
-
Poland (Lubuskie Voivodeship) – Germany (Brandenburg)
-
Poland – the Republic of Slovakia
The potential Beneficiaries of the cross-border cooperation programmes cover primarily:
-
local and regional authorities of all levels,
-
organisational entities and units appointed or established by the State, Voivodes or local and regional authorities in order to render public services,
-
non-profit NGOs,
-
economic, commercial and craft chambers,
-
higher education institutions,
-
public institutions carrying out educational and research activity,
-
culture institutions,
-
churches and faith communities,
-
Euroregions.