Romania: EU Funds for Partnerships with Black Sea Basin Countries

Eastbusiness.org

April 3, 2007 Tuesday

The First National Conference on the new Black Sea Basin Cooperation Programme was held in Galati on Monday 2 April. The conference is part of the campaign of events carried out to familiarise the potential beneficiaries with the programme, the potential Romanian and foreign beneficiaries and the project ideas that can receive financing from the Black Sea Basin Cooperation Programme. The conference occasioned the presentation of cross-border cooperation project examples from the period 2000-2006.

The programme, which is in advanced stage of elaboration and negotiation with the European Commission, will involve 10 countries, the largest number among all cross-border cooperation programmes in which Romania is involved. The Ministry of European Integration will manage the programme in cooperation with the eligible countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine. The programme will be submitted for the approval of the European Commission in the second part of 2007 and is meant for the County Councils, Prefectures, Mayoralities, Environment Agencies, Chambers of Commerce, relevant non-governmental organisations, universities and research institutes from the eligible regions. The budget of the Programme is 17 million euros.

Among others, the programme objectives are aimed at the economic and social development, the environmental improvement in the Black Sea Basin Regions by controlling the human and technological pollution factors, and also at promoting cultural partnerships between Black Sea Coast communities. The Black Sea Basin Cooperation Programme promotes the European Neighbourhood Policy through which the European Union wishes to create a special relationship with neighbouring countries and to strengthen the political-economical cooperation, on the basis of a common set of values.