preparation of a transnational cooperation programme

1. DANUBE2014-2020 preparation of a transnational cooperation programme DANUBE – EUSDR cooperation State of play 20May 2014 - Budapest

2. DANUBE 2014 2020 Content (0) Introduction: transnationalco-operation DANUBE programing: late start; eight DPC meetings ; more thanhalfwayontheroad EUSDR support: undefinedneeds; manystakeholdersina constantlydevelopingsetup; differentunderstandingsinmeans of support inthefocussince DPC3; constructiveapproach; NCP involvementin DPC; makingfirstcontacts Shapingelements of a transnationalprogrammepriority; EC proposals; cross-groupstakeholderdiscussion(Budapest Jan 2014); collectionof informationonrelevantmodels; Towardsmutualsupport: development of managableoptionsonconcretedetails; furtherdiscussionsbetweenstakeholdergroups; DPC decisionsincourse of OP preparation

3. DANUBE Transnationalcooperationprogrammes 2014 2020 in Europe (2000-2006) NorthernPeriphery BalticSea NorthSea North-WestEurope Atlantic South-West Europe Western Mediterranean CentralAdriatic - Danubian - South East Europe Alpine Archimed (CADSES)

4. DANUBE Transnationalcooperation 2014 2020 basiccharacteristics PROJECT PROGRAMME 10-15 project partners and observers Roughly 100 project per program (SEE) Number 13 overlappingprogrammeareas 6-15 countries per programme „Lead partner” principle: onepartnertakeslegalresponsibilityforthepartnership. Partnerscertifytheircostsatnationallevel and reporttogethertotheprogramme Monitoring Committee (representatives of the partner states) is the main decision-making body of theprogramme Structure 1-3 million euro project budget spentin 2-3 yearlongcooperationprojects 100-300 million euro programmebudgetfor 7 yearprogrammeperiods 94 % spentonprojects 6 % onprogrammeimplementation Finances „Soft” projects: jointdevelopment of ideas, concepts, plans, solutions, preparationoffutureinvestments– no directinfrastructuredevelopment Programmeprioritiesdefinedby partner statesbasedon EU directives and needs of theprogrammearea Topics/ type

5. DANUBE Transnationalcooperationprogrammes 2014 2020 intheDanubearea 2000 -> 2013 2000-2006: INTERREG II B CADSES 2007-2013: EUROPEAN TERRITORIAL COOPERATION (ETC) SOUTH-EAST EUROPE CENTRAL EUROPE

6. DANUBE Transnationalcooperationprogrammes 2014 2020 intheDanubearea 2014 - 2020 2014-2020: ETC II. 2007-2013: ETC I. SOUTH-EAST EUROPE DANUBE Adriatic Ionian Albania; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Croatia; Cyprus; Fyrom; Greece; Italy; Malta; Montenegro; Serbia; Slovenia; Austria (notwholeterritory) Balkan-Mediterranean Albania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Greece

7. DANUBE Thematicpriorities 2014 2020 of theSouth-East Europe programme (2007-2013) 2007-2013 transnationalcooperation programmeswereconcentrating on EC definedpriority areas, in line with the Lisbon and Gothenburg agendas: Innovation, Environment, Accessibility and Sustainable Growth Areas Priorityaxis Areas of intervention 1.1: Develop technology and innovation networks in specific fields 1.2: Develop the enabling environment for innovative entrepreneurship 1.3: Enhance the framework conditions and pave the way for innovation FACILITATION OF INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP 1. 2.1: Improve integrated water management and flood risk prevention 2.2: Improve prevention of environmental risks 2.3: Promote cooperation in management of natural assets and protected areas 2.4: Promote energy and resource efficiency PROTECTION AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT 2. 3.1: Improve co-ordination in promoting, planning and operation for primary and secondary transportation networks 3.2: Develop strategies to tackle the "digital divide" 3.3: Improve framework conditions for multi-modal platforms IMPROVEMENT OF THE ACCESSIBILITY 3. 4.1: Tackling crucial problems affecting metropolitan areas and regional systems of settlements 4.2: Promoting a balanced pattern of attractive and accessible growth areas 4.3: Promoting the use of cultural values for development DEVELOPMENT OF SYNERGIES FOR SUSTAINABLE GROWTH AREAS 4.

8. DANUBE Thematicpriorities 2014 2020 2014-2020: Concentrationneeded • Art. 5(2), draft ETC Regulation: Thematic concentration • … up to 4 thematic objectives shall be selected for each transnational cooperation programme… • At least 80% of the ERDF allocation to each cross-border cooperation and transnational programme shall be concentrated on up to 4 thematic objectives set out in Article 9 of CPR (Council Agreement) • Up to 5 thematic objectives, substantial proposals for additional investment priorities (EP amendments) • Art. 6(b), draft ETC Regulation: Investment priorities • …under transnational cooperation: development and implementation of macro-regional and sea basin strategies (within thematic objective 11: enhancing institutional capacity and an efficient public administration)…

9. DANUBE Thematicpriorities 2014 2020 2014-2020: EC proposedThematicObjectives strengthening research, technological development and innovation; enhancing access to, and use and quality of, information and communication technologies; enhancing the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises, the agricultural sector (for the EAFRD) and the fisheries and aquaculture sector (for the EMFF); supporting the shift towards a low-carbon economy in all sectors; promoting climate change adaptation, risk prevention and management; protecting the environment and promoting resource efficiency; promoting sustainable transport and removing bottlenecks in key network infrastructures; promoting employment and supporting labour mobility; promoting social inclusion and combating poverty; investing in education, skills and lifelong learning; enhancing institutional capacity and an efficient public administration.* ETC* development and coordination of macro-regional and sea-basin strategies (tn)

10. DANUBE DANUBE – EUSDR cooperation 2014 2020 & summary DANUBE programing: late start; eight DPC meetings ; more thanhalfwayontheroad EUSDR support: undefinedneeds; manystakeholdersina constantlydevelopingsetup; differentunderstandingsinmeans of support inthefocussince DPC3; constructiveapproach; NCP involvementin DPC; makingfirstcontacts Shapingelements of a transnationalprogrammepriority; EC proposals; cross-groupstakeholderdiscussion(Budapest Jan 2014); collectionof informationonrelevantmodels; Towardsmutualsupport: development of managableoptionsonconcretedetails; furtherdiscussionsbetweenstakeholdergroups; DPC decisionsincourse of OP preparation

11. DANUBE Relationto EUSDRin Danube programming 2014 2020 Meetings of theProgrammingCommittee Points of discussion / Milestone /Results 18-19 April Belgrade 3. The supportive links between the Danube Programme and the Danube Strategy were analyzed PACsspecifiedtheirexpectations and concerns. The PC agreedtodevelop a conceptto be discussedatthenext PC meeting. 21 May Ljubljana Meeting withthePACs 4. 25-26 June Bucharest Modalitiesoffinancial support to EUSDR PACshave been tackled at the meeting Furtherdiscussions on main cornerstones of financing the PACs took place, seekingcompromise between different positions 5. 9-10 October Stuttgart 6. 10-11 December Zagreb Presentation of a possiblestructure and tools of a programmeprioritybasedonobjective 11.b.

12. DANUBE ThematicObjective 11 2014 2020 intheregulations 1299_2013_ETC art 7. InvestmentPriority: enhancing institutional capacity of public authorities and stakeholders and efficient public administration by developing and coordinating macro-regional and sea-basin strategies;

13. DANUBE Relationto EUSDR 2014 2020 asagreedatthe 3rd meeting of the Danube PC (18 April, 2013) The Danube Programme is considering to support the governance of the EUSDR and other activities for institutional capacity building through one priority axis based on TO11. Other TOs support the implementation of EUSDR through projects in different thematic fields. The other 3 / 4 priority axis/TOs will be selected based on the need of the transnational area considering the objectives of the EUSDR but without making direct references to project / initiatives (no projects in the OP). Projects will be selectedaccordingtosound and agreed selection criteria in line with the StructuralFunds’regulations.

14. DANUBE Potentialinstruments 2014 2020 proposed by the EC to the DPC for consideration (December 2013) 1. Facility for direct support to EUSDR governance Each of the eleven priority areas of the Danube Region Strategy are managed by two Priority Area Coordinators (PACs). The aim of this element of the priority is to provide a stable source to fund activities of the PACs on a longer run. 2. Seed money/project development fund facility This instrument is providing support to all project developers in the thematic fields of the Strategy. Small scale financial assistance would beavailable for EUSDR-relevant project ideas. 3. The EUSDR Focal Point It is an independent structure (project?) aiming to provide general and specific support on EUSDR to the work and cooperation of EUSDR stakeholders.

15. DANUBE Importantpreliminaryremarks 2014 2020 aboutthe Budapest (24 Jan 2014) meeting Aim of the meeting: Outlining options for solving open questions; Sharing a common understandingonprogrammesupporttoPACs / NCPs Limitations: The meeting hada fully informal nature Time -> focusonlyonTO11b (NO otherTOs, EUSDR projectsoractionplans), NO labellingissues, NOgeneralgovernanceconcepts) Differentunderstanding -> informalopendialogueneeded Manyparticipants -> facilitateddialogue an opportunitytospeakforeverybody

16. DANUBE Session 2 2014 2020 openissues What are the open issues? 30 minutes brainstorming in plenary facilitation by INTERACT In relation toT.O.11b activitiesfor the EUSDR, i.e. current TA budget and TAF, what are needs / expectations /open issues

17. DANUBE Results of theinformalgroupsessions 2014 2020 on support to EUSDR governance Relevantoutcomes Questions ToPACs: What activities did we cover with PAC TA? What others would we need? -Project preparation meetings -Meetings between PACs (bilateral-pillar) -PACs and their staff’s cost related to supported activities ensuring continuity -REMINDER: PACs will report and be accountable to DRP on 11b achievements, NOT on EUSDR achievements (action plan) -Regional assessment and feasibility studies -The list of activities proposed by EC needs to be extended -Strategic interface should be established between EUSDR and the transnational programme – one rather than two (to keep the structure simple and streamlined there should be no separate bodies that PACs and technical point should report to and/or to provide the strategic interface between DRS structures and strategic decisions and the transnational programme) ToNCPs: What role do we have in the DR MC in relation to EUSDR activities? DPC: How much money do we have for T.O.11b? – What results/outputs do we monitor? -According to EC proposal, TO11b ca. 10% of Danube Programme budget -Regarding PAC support, activities are to be financed -based on planning, project line, reporting as simple as possible -no exceptions for PAC support with regard to the general rules for other beneficiaries -it is necessary to understand the tasks of the PACs and their related activities -100.000 EUR/priority area should be considered as a baseline, exact allocation should be decided based on the information to be provided by the EC

18. DANUBE Results of theinformalgroupsessions 2014 2020 on Seed Money Relevantoutcomes Questions ToPACs: What did we learn from TAF and want to keep for DR support? -Both TAF-DRP and BSR Seed money models might have advantages and shall be used; (the BSR seed money is a proved framework, TAF must be assessed as well in terms of efficiency after delivering outputs); -Easy procedures should be assured (e.g. providing services, instead of grants like the TAF-DRP) -SEED money has a risk capital nature: maybe no “harvest”, i.e. the project will not be further financed, but this should not have any consequence. -REMINDER: This kind of support to all PAs has to be strengthened, because there is no guarantee that all PAs will be covered in the T.O.s of the programme -EUSDR governance (rather than the NCPs) might need some limited support from the transnational programme (also via the technical point) seed money: preferred to be a flexible facility taking the BSR example into account while managed ToNCPs: Do you need support within T.O.11b? What?? DPC: Will Danube Programme run EUSDR seed money? What modelstoconsider? -seen as an option -objective is to support project generation for EUDRS, as well as for Danube Programme -a kind of „risk fund” -options need to be further analysed

19. DANUBE Results of theinformalgroupsessions 2014 2020 on EUSDR Focal Point Relevantoutcomes Questions ToPACs: What/how coordination among PACs should work? «Technical Point»? -Preference to call it “Focal Point” -Task should be based on good working examples (e.g. RCC Sarajevo); -About 4 people might be considered (tobe determined after the definition of tasks) - Profileto be defined better, is knowledge on all financing sources/all themes realistic? -Support info flows and communication among NCPs – PACs (meeting etc.) -REMINDER: This kind of support to all PAs to be strengthened , because not all PAs will be covered in the T.O.s of the programme - service not structure -help preparing facilitating the tasks, but not delegating and reducing ownership -support annual forum -technical point reporting to the single strategic interface (to be established by DRS governance process) -important to clearly define and distribute the support between the various PAC support and TP to avoid duplication -prioritisepossible tasks and identify costs to see what can be realistically provided ToNCPs: Do we need “Technical Point” support? -it is an interesting initiative, it might be supported but details should be clarified (e.g. exact role and tasks; what is feasible from TO 11b budget; additional financial support from EC) -there might be overlaps with the other structures of the Strategy and the Programme (should be clarified) -more information needed on the division of roles (i.e. independent from JS) DPC: What and how shall a “technical point” run? Other options?

20. DANUBE 2014 2020 Thank you for your attention! Béla HEGYESI bela.hegyesi@nth.gov.hu +36 30 4758573