Ensuring access to medical services is crucial for a high quality of life, especially in the Romanian-Hungarian border region where nearly 4 million residents rely on over 70 urban hospitals.
More than 7 years ago, as the funding strategy for the Interreg V-A Romania-Hungary Programme was shaped, addressing the poor state of hospital infrastructure and outdated medical equipment became a top priority.
Consequently, a significant part of the Programme's budget, exceeding 62 million euros from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), was allocated for healthcare infrastructure development, capacity-building, and harmonising medical service on both sides of the border.
Today, we proudly witness tangible results. In Timișoara, one of Romania's largest cities and the largest in the border region, the old maternity operated in a century-old building. The Interreg V-A Romania-Hungary Programme has funded the region's most modern maternity, the first public one built in Timișoara in the last 50 years. This state-of-the-art clinic, with over 120 beds, boasts cutting-edge facilities, including the most modern in vitro fertilization services in Romania, gynaecological services, laparoscopic and hysteroscopic surgery, physiological obstetrics, and intensive care, making it a pioneering healthcare facility.
Under the strategic initiative ROHU 443-BABYROHU, the construction of Timișoara Maternity began in the summer of 2021 and has recently been completed. While the new maternity is ready, it is expected that mothers and their babies will likely start receiving the required care in the new facility starting June 2024.
Implemented by the County Council of Timiș, University of Szeged, and Emergency Clinical County Hospital "Pius Brînzeu" in Timișoara, the project has benefitted from over 11.7 million euros from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
Project BABYROHU was also featured as a good practice among cross-border cooperation projects on the European Commission’s website. Explore the full article on EC’s website here.
In response to the European Commission's request, the Interreg VI-A Romania-Hungary Programme invites stakeholders and citizens to join an extensive public consultation shaping cross-border cooperation between Romania and Hungary beyond 2027.
Your input will influence the European Commission's future plans for the Cohesion Policy and Interreg Programmes, guiding priorities, and funding for the post-2027 period in the Interreg Romania-Hungary Programme area.
Key Points:
New to Interreg? Interreg promotes cohesion and integration among European regions, fostering, among others, cross-border partnerships for economic, social development, and environmental well-being.
The Interreg VI-A Romania-Hungary Programme (ROHU Programme), funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), allocates 175,940,025.00 EUR for projects in areas addressing environmental protection, risk prevention, renewable energy, health, tourism & culture, and improving governance. ROHU projects make a significant impact across the entire Programme area, spanning eight counties—four in Romania (Arad, Bihor, Satu Mare, and Timiș) and four in Hungary (Békés, Csongrád-Csanád, Hajdú-Bihar, and Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg).
Join us in shaping a better future!
The First Open Call for HARD projects gathered significant attention, resulting in 127 applications by the deadline, on January 26, 2024.
The submitted projects covered various fields. These included 56 project proposals in the field of culture and tourism (SO 4.6), 24 in biodiversity (SO 2.7), 16 in renewable energy (SO 2.2), 14 in health care (SO 4.5) and 9 in adaptation to climate change (SO 2.4). Additionally, 8 project proposals were submitted for people-to-people actions, under Interreg SO 6.3.
With a total budget of EUR 53,521,942, of which EUR 42,817,554 from ERDF funding, the launch of the First Open Call for proposals, on June 28, 2023, marked a pivotal moment for the Interreg VI-A Romania-Hungary Programme. The Call was divided into two components - SOFT projects (which do not include infrastructure elements requiring a building permit) and HARD projects (for which a building permit is required).
At the first deadline on September 27th, 2023, 170 proposals for SOFT projects were submitted, which are currently undergoing evaluation. This brings the total number of project proposals in the 1st Open Call under the Program to 297.
As the evaluation process for both SOFT and HARD project proposals unfold in parallel in the upcoming period, we encourage you to stay updated by following the Programme's website and social media platforms.
The diversity of projects and innovative ideas submitted reflect a promising future of cross-border cooperation and impactful outcomes. Be part of the journey towards fostering positive change in the Interreg VI-A Romania-Hungary Programme area!
A practical management tool for the implementation of the Interreg VI-A Romania-Hungary Programme The Evaluation Plan (EvalPlan), has been developed by the Managing Authority (MA) in cooperation with the National Authority (NA), according to art. 35 of Reg. (EU) 1059/2021 provisions, and building on the input of the Evaluation Unit. The EvalPlan was approved by the Monitoring Committee (MC) through Decision No. 4, dated 28th of December 2023.
The document sets out the evaluation strategy for the entire implementation period of the Programme, considering the relevant EU provisions and the feedback provided by the EC Evaluation Helpdesk, and aims at assessing both the performance (effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, coherence, inclusiveness, and non-discrimination) and effects (impact, sustainability, EU added value, visibility, and contribution to the EU strategic goals) of the Programme.
The objectives of the Evaluation Plan are:
Details HERE!
Yesterday, on December 12th, 2023, the Interreg V-A Romania-Hungary Programme officially closed its implementation in Baktalórántház, Hungary, during the Annual Event.
Representatives from the European Commission, Managing Authority, and National Authority, as well as ROHU beneficiaries, came together to celebrate the achievements of 7 years of Romanian-Hungarian cooperation and the joint efforts to improve the development of the cross-border region.
Since November 2016, ROHU V-A has organized events annually to promote the financed projects and their results. These events aimed to bring the Programme closer to the wider public and highlight the benefits of cross-border cooperation.
This year, at the end of the 2014-2020 programming period, the time to consider the entire activity in retrospect has arrived, this being the main topic on the Closing Conference Agenda.
The event was hosted by Mr Oszkár SESZTÁK, President of Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County Council, and attended by over 100 participants who were also welcomed by representatives of the Programme.
In her welcoming speech, Ms Anna-Monika MODZELEWSKA, Programme Officer within DG Regio's Territorial Cooperation Unit 2 (European Commission), acknowledged the remarkable efforts of all the stakeholders involved in achieving the best possible performance in projects and Programme implementation, despite the unfavorable conditions caused by the pandemic crisis and the war in Ukraine. Additionally, she emphasized the importance of spending the funds allocated through the Programme, by December 31st, 2023.
Ms Camelia COPORAN, General Director, Directorate-General for European Territorial Cooperation (Ministry of Development, Public Work and Administration, Romania) and Head of the Managing Authority briefly commemorated the beginnings of the ROHU V-A cooperation, expressed her gratitude towards the Programme's and beneficiaries' representatives for their dedication and commitment, and hopped for further collaboration within the partnership for a better future.
On behalf of the National Authority, Ms Nikoletta HORVÁTH, Head of Department, Department for Cross-Border Interreg Programmes (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Hungary) appreciated the valuable contribution made by local communities to the success of the current Programme’s implementation and referred to the future 2028-2034 programming period, that should focus on promoting the regional interest at European level, using a bottom-up approach to draft relevant regulations.
The ROHU V-A journey - the results achieved at the project and Programme level, as well as the significant impact as opposed to rather limited resources – was pictured by Ms Monica TEREAN, Head of Joint Secretariat, through emblematic outcomes, be those tangible (such as medical departments, water plants, new/upgraded roads or cycling paths, emergency intervention vehicles, visiting centers, better-protected areas, training or business centers), or intangible (access to improved medical services, population safeguarded by improved emergency response services, increased level of cross-border cooperation, etc.).
Best embodying the spirit of cooperation, the very core of Interreg Programmes, 8 out of the 33 people-to-people projects implemented under Interreg V-A Romania-Hungary were invited to present their accomplishments.
The participants learned in turn about drug prevention (ROHU180 – No Drugs), a better approach to the migration phenomenon at the Romanian-Hungarian border (ROHU183 - Safe Border, Safer Life), the inclusion of young people as a key social group in building sustainable and active cooperation (ROHU256 - Cross border youth community), the joint events organized in the fields of culture and sport (ROHU268 - Joint communities), the traditions, culture and history of the Slovak community (ROHU271 - Minority Question), the innovative solutions to common problems related to the social inclusion of marginalized communities (ROHU 277 - Chess Start Ro-Hu), promoting cultural diversity and shared traditions through artistic events (ROHU280 - Co-cultured), new, digital solutions to provide access to digitized cultural heritage and disseminate knowledge about the history and culture of the region (ROHU297 - Open Model of a Digital Museum Database).
Summarizing the lessons learned in the previous RO-HU cooperation programmes, and at the same time forecasting future trends and approaches on the basis of recently drawn conclusions, Ms Livia BANU, Executive Director of Oradea Regional Office for Cross-Border Cooperation for Romania-Hungary Border, highlighted the shift in focus from process to results, the importance of improved resilience and the impending (r)evolution towards a simpler, more intense, but most probably different future.
Upon the closure of ROHU V-A, we would like to extend our congratulations to all and every single ROHU project, express our gratitude to all ROHU beneficiaries, and hope for continued collaboration in the future.
We would also like to give a special thanks to our InfoPoint colleagues for the exceptional organization, and to all participants for being a part of this important event in Interreg V-A Romania-Hungary Programme lifecycle.
See you all in the context of the Interreg VI-A Romania-Hungary Programme!
We kindly inform potential applicants that the application deadline for HARD projects under the 1st Open Call, has been extended until 26.01.2024, 17:00 hours, Bucharest time (EET) // 16:00 hours, Budapest time (CET).
The application package has been updated accordingly. Corrigendum no.1 together with the updated version of the Applicants Guide of the 1st Open Call is available here.
Applicants are kindly requested to take notice of this modification and prepare their applications accordingly.
05.12.2023
Oradea Regional Office for Cross-Border Cooperation, acting as contracting authority, is launching a call for evaluators to create a pool of external experts in the framework of the Interreg VI-A Romania-Hungary Programme.
We are looking for professionals, who have good knowledge in at least one of the Specific Objectives financed within the Programme, and experience in performing the quality assessment (or equivalent) of project proposals funded under national, European, or international programmes, ideally in transnational/interregional/cross-border cooperation programmes.
The assessment of project proposals submitted under the 1st Open Call for SOFT projects (normal and people-to-people) will be performed exclusively online, using the Programme’s joint electronic monitoring system (Jems).
Interested experts fulfilling ToR’s (download) requirements should submit their offers, as legal entities, by e-mail, to the following address: joint.secretariat@brecoradea.ro no later than October 13th, 2023, 17:00 EET.
The requested declarations & agreement can be downloaded here.
Should additional information be needed, contact the Joint Secretariat of the Interreg VI-A Romania-Hungary Programme (email: joint.secretariat@brecoradea.ro, phone: +40 259 473 174).
On 28 June 2023, the Interreg VI-A Romania-Hungary Programme launched its First Open Call for proposals, comprising two components - SOFT projects (which do not include infrastructure elements requiring a building permit) and HARD projects (for which a building permit is required). The total budget of the call is of EUR 53,521,942, out of which EUR 42,817,554 represents ERDF funding.
Within the call, there were different deadlines for the two components: proposals for HARD projects can be submitted by December 27th, 2023, while for SOFT projects the deadline was September 27th, 2023.
After the closure of the SOFT project proposal component, within the Interreg VI-A Romania-Hungary Programme were submitted 170 applications in the fields of: renewable energy (specific objective SO 2.2) - 7 project proposals, adaptation to climate change (SO 2.4) - 14 project proposals, biodiversity (SO 2.7) - 16 project proposals, health care (SO 4.5) - 15 project proposals, culture and tourism (SO 4.6) - 21 project proposals. In addition, 97 project proposals were submitted for people-to-people actions under Interreg Specific Objective 6.3.
The evaluation process of the submitted SOFT project proposals will take place in the coming period. We invite you to follow the Programme's website for more information.
When filling out Jems co-financing section, please use the tool we've prepared to help you correctly define the amounts and related percentages on sources of financing.
Special attention is to be paid to relevant ERDF thresholds (EUR 2 million for P1&2 and EUR 200,000 for P3) at project level.
Projects exceeding a TOTAL budget of EUR 2,5 million/250,000 shall cover the difference from own resources. That means that a different percentage of ERDF co-financing shall be applied (than the ordinary 80%), and the national co-financing shall not exceed:
Use this table to fill in / verify the relevant Jems section.
Success in finalizing your applications!
In order to keep in touch with potential applicants under the active call, and to reach as many participants as possible, beginning with September and until the closing deadline for 1st Open Call, i.e. December 27, the Joint Secretariat and the Information Points invite you to participate in weekly online question and answer sessions.
The events are designed to provide real-time answers to questions on the funding opportunities available, eligibility criteria, projects’ budget and implementation time limits, annexes to be submitted with the Application Form, how to fill in the Application Form in Jems, and other important aspects of the Call rules.
As a rule, the meetings will be held every Wednesday in Romanian and every Thursday in Hungarian between 11:00-12:00 EET/10:00-11:00 CET, from 06.09.2023 to 14.12.2023. Those interested will be able to access the online platform via the link provided on both Programme website and Social Media pages, 15 minutes before every scheduled event.
Questions can be submitted in advance to joint.secretariat@brecoradea.ro and will be answered during the next session to make the process more efficient.
We are also pleased to announce that a recording of the presentation in Romanian and Hungarian languages delivered during the Info Days dedicated to the 1st Open Call, organized in July, is now available on the website.
We are excited to see you online and wish you the best of luck in your project proposal preparation!
The New European Bauhaus will be a driving force to bring the European Green Deal to life in an attractive, and innovative and human-centred way. It will be a movement based on sustainability, accessibility, and aesthetics to bring the European Green Deal closer to people and make recycling, renewable energies and biodiversity natural. - Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission
The core values and working principles of the New European Bauhaus’ (NEB) innovative framework act as a new horizontal principle in the Interreg ROHU VI-A programme’s framework.
This guide provides a comprehensive overview of the NEB initiated by the European Commission, aiming to combine sustainability, functionality, and aesthetics, by bringing together citizens and experts, art and science, theory, and practice to create positive changes for a more liveable and sustainable green future.
NEB is an interdisciplinary tool, grounded in these 3 core values and creates a bridge between 4 thematic axes:
Putting NEB principles into practice is also extremely important in cross-border cooperation programmes: sustainable developments are needed in border regions that build on the value-added use of local characteristics and are accepted and supported by the local community.
The aim of this publication is therefore to help the applicants of cross-border cooperation programmes to plan and implement projects that are in line with the NEB initiative, accept its core values and follow its working principles.
The guide offers help by providing answers to questions like:
Developing a NEB project requires a participatory process, multi-level engagement and a transdisciplinary approach, acting as a procedural framework, which are also presented in detail.
In addition, the guide contains several examples of prize-winning good practices and a checklist that will assist you in assessing the extent to which your own initiative meets the expectations and values of NEB.
Download the Applicants guide on the possibilities of joining the initiative New European Bauhaus.
For more examples and further details on NEB read The NEB Compass, available here.
In order to support potential applicants in completing the Jems application form, you are invited to participate in the online training sessions scheduled for 21-23 August 2023, according to the following calendar:
→ Monday 21 August: 11.00 EET/10.00 CET and 15.00 EET/14.00 CET - in English.
→ Tuesday 22 August: 10.00 EET - in Romanian & 14.00 CET - in Hungarian
→ Wednesday 23 August: 10.00 CET - in Hungarian & 14.00 EET - in Romanian
Please use this link to register for the relevant online session.
Video tutorial on using Jems is also available on the programme website. You can view it here.
The Management Authority (MA) of the Interreg V-A Romania-Hungary Programme has initiated and got the approval for the Cooperation Programme's (CP) revision. The updated version of the Programme mainly reflects the reallocation of funds between Priority Axis (PA), as a result of the Monitoring Committee’s (MC) decision on the further commitment of identified available ERDF.
To ensure the best possible performances of the ROHU Programme, the MC decided to use the saved and/or uncontracted ERDF, firstly, to cover the over-contracted amounts and then, to award additional funding to ongoing strategic projects, based on the Additional Funding Requests submitted either for expenditures already incurred and paid in relation to project implementation, or for new, complementary activities meant to enhance the projects’ results impact.
The reallocation of funds between PAs resulted in the necessity to modify the target value of related indicators accordingly.
The revised Cooperation Programme and its Annexes are available below:
We know that finding project partners can be challenging, especially for newcomers. For this reason, targeted online events for each priority of the active 1st Open Call for proposal were organised.
Thus, on July 27, 2023, two meetings were held, to discuss future projects expected to bring their contribution to a greener and more social ROHU border area and to jointly find the best solution to relevant challenges, within strong partnerships.
The next day, on July 28, 2023, the event featured People-to-people project ideas that address cooperation at the very grassroots level and are meant to enhance the sense of community and collaboration among citizens on both sides of the border.
The three events gathered over 60 potential applicants who expressed their intention to jointly implement Interreg projects with cross-border partners having identified similar needs, bringing thus added value to the quality of life of the communities living on the borders.
Several were lucky and found their match among the participants. The ones who didn’t and are still looking for a project partner are invited to register their project ideas and contact data in the Partner Search tool and browse the available database.
In case you don’t find your match in the database, please don’t hesitate to contact the Joint Secretariat or the Information Points for support.
The potential ROHU applicants are kindly asked to exclusively use the Jems link provided on the Programme’s website when developing the project applications in the context of the 1st Open Call for project proposals, launched June 28th, 2023 under Interreg VI-A Romania-Hungary Programme. Considering several Interreg Programmes have active calls using the same electronic system (Jems) for submitting the applications, special attention shall be paid to Interreg VI-A ROHU Programme’s identity elements (the logo and Jems link should include ROHU abbreviation).
The link on the Programme’s site opens Jems interface, displaying ROHU Programme’s Logo. After registering in the system, by creating an account, a project application can be opened, under an automatically generated ID, under the form: ROHUXXXXX.
The Programme also recommends applicants to consult the JEMS ROHU Manual beforehand, specially developed to guide ROHU applicants throughout the submission process. The document provides step-by-step indications on how to fill in the application fields in the system, supported by illustrative screenshots.
If needed, additional information on the submission process may be requested through the helpdesk by sending questions at joint.secretariat@brecoradea.ro.
To facilitate the generation of ROHU cross-border cooperation projects, a tool is now available on the Programme’s website, to help applicants find a partner on the other side of the border, and the Programme create a comprehensive contact database, to further disseminate Programme-related information.
Thus, between 20.07.2023 and 25.07.2023, interested applicants are invited to fill in and submit the online form, expressing their interest in one of the Specific Objectives funded within the 1st Open Call for project proposals. In case an applicant intends to submit several project proposals under different Specific Objectives, one form will be filled in for each Objective.
Depending on the interest expressed for a certain Specific Objective, online Partner Search Forum meetings will be organized between 26-31.07.2023, targeting either the related Priority or the relevant Specific Objective.
Following the registration process, a calendar (scheduled dates and times) of the online events will be drafted and posted on the Programme’s website.
The access link to the relevant event will be provided in due time, at the e-mail address indicated in the registration form, based on the interest expressed for a certain Objective.
See you soon online!
The ROHU VI-A Information Day caravan, organized between 03 - 13 July in all 8 county seats of the Programme Area, was met with great interest: 288 participants joined the events.
The presentation of the active 1st Open Call (download link below) provided potential applicants with comprehensive information on the requirements, guidelines, and specific objectives of the Call.
To make sure the participants clearly understood the application process, eligibility rules, budget-related aspects, and Call specific requirements, question-and-answer sessions were organized during the events, thus, the potential applicants gained a broader perspective of the Call.
As learning is easier through examples, ROHU project beneficiaries were invited to share their experiences. These storytelling interactions, highly appreciated, facilitated an environment of knowledge exchange, as participants could gather insights and valorise each others’ experiences, enhancing thus the quality of individual proposals, but also fostering a sense of community and cooperation among potential applicants.
According to the Slido surveys conducted during each InfoDay, people-to-people, and cultural projects raised the greatest interest among participants.
When asked about the first word that comes into their mind when thinking about cross-border cooperation keywords like community, mutual trust, collaboration, shared benefits, joint scope, and development were mentioned on each occasion. Glad to see so many positive associations which also define the added value of a ROHU project.
Your project proposals are expected with great interest!
Submission:
What is financed?
Projects contributing to the following 6 Specific Objectives within the 3 Priorities of the Programme may be summited:
Under Priority 1: Cooperation for a greener and more resilient cross-border area
Specific objective (OS) 2.2 – promoting renewable energy in accordance with Directive (EU) 2018/2001, including the sustainability criteria set out therein;
Specific objective (SO) 2.4 – promoting climate change adaptation, disaster risk prevention and resilience, taking into account ecosystem approaches;
Specific objective (OS) 2.7 – enhancing the protection and preservation of nature, biodiversity, and green infrastructure, including in urban areas, and reducing all forms of pollution;
Under Priority 2: Cooperation for a more social and cohesive cross-border area
Specific objective (OS) 4.5 – ensuring equal access to healthcare and fostering resilience of health systems, including primary care, and promoting the transition from institutional to family- and community-based care;
Specific objective (OS) 4.6 – enhancing the role of culture and sustainable tourism in economic development, social inclusion and social innovation;
Under Priority 3: More sustainable, community-based and efficient cross-border cooperation
Interreg Specific Objective (OSI) 6.3 – Build up mutual trust, by encouraging people-to-people actions;
Who can apply?
Public entities (national, regional or local authorities), organisations equivalent to those governed by public law, non-governmental organisations (e.g. associations) and European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation (EGTCs) are eligible for financing under the Programme. Only projects with cross-border partnership are eligible for funding. The Applicant’s Guide sets the eligibility criteria for applicants, actions and expenses.
The Programme Area covers the counties of Arad, Bihor, Satu Mare and Timis in Romania, respectively Békés, Csongrád-Csanád, Hajdú-Bihar and Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg, in Hungary.
Submission procedure:
Applications will be submitted exclusively online via the Jems system, using the access link: https://jems-rohu.mdlpa.ro/.
For more details on the Call for proposals, please refer to the Applicant’s Guide and its annexes (https://interreg-rohu.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Applicants_Guide_package.zip).
Potential applicants can participate in online events meant to support them in preparing and submitting the project proposals, such as partner search forums, Jems tutorial, Q&A sessions, etc. Also, throughout the submission period, the Joint Secretariat (SC) and the Info Points (IP) will provide help-desk technical assistance. The applicants may transmit to SC/IP their questions about the Call rules, no later than 21 working days before the relevant submission deadline, at the following e-mail address: joint.secretariat@brecoradea.ro. All questions and answers will be published on the Programme’s website at least 11 working days before the relevant submission deadline.
Between 03-13.07.2023, 8 Info Day sessions, dedicated to this 1st Open call for project proposals, will take place in each of the counties composing the Programme Area. Details on the events and the registration form are available here.
WE WISH YOU SUCCESS!
In view of the launch of the 1st Open Call for project proposals, to support potential applicants in the preparation of projects to be submitted, the Joint Secretariat and the Info Points organise a series of Info Day events, during July 03 – 13, 2023.
The Info Days will take place in each of the 8 county seats in the Programme Area and are meant to raise the awareness of potential applicants regarding the funding opportunities, the eligibility rules, and the specific submission requirements.
The calendar and venues of the events are available below:
| CITY | LOCATION & ADDRESS | CONFERENCE ROOM | DATE & TIME |
| ARAD | Arad County Council | Iuliu Maniu Hall | 03.07.2023, 10.00 - 12.00 |
| TIMIȘOARA | Timiș County Council | Multifunctional Hall | 03.07.2023, 15.00 - 17.00 |
| SZEGED | Csongrád-Csanád County Council | Community space Hall | 04.07.2023, 10.00 -12.00 |
| BÉKÉSCSABA | Békés County Council | Meeting room | 04.07.2023, 15.00 - 17.00 |
| ORADEA | Bihor County Council | Main Hall | 11.07.2023, 11.00 - 13.00 |
| DEBRECEN | Hajdú-Bihar County Council | Main Hall | 12.07.2023, 10.00 - 12.00 |
| NYIREGYHÁZA | Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County Council | Main Hall | 12.07.2023, 15.00 - 17.00 |
| SATU MARE | Satu Mare County Council | Small Hall | 13.07.2023, 11.00 - 13.00 |
**All hours are expressed as local time!
Please check out the Agenda of the events.
The working language of the Info days is Romanian for the events in Romania and, respectively Hungarian, for the events in Hungary.
Due to the limited capacity of the venues, you are kindly asked to delegate maximum two representatives per institution.
Please register for the session organized in your county, by filling in the online Registration form, at least two days before the date of the event you are interested to participate in.
The Ministry of Development, Public Works and Administration, as the Managing Authority for the Interreg VI-A Romania-Hungary Programme, launches today, June 7, 2023, a short public consultation (second round) on the Applicant's Guide related to the 1st Open Call for project proposals, the version approved by the Programme’s Monitoring Committee, during its first meeting.
The document was developed to guide future applicants in preparing their projects, providing details on the financial allocations available per each specific objective, the elaboration of the Application form and annexes, the projects’ budget limits and duration, the submission procedure, the assessment and selection criteria, as well as other useful information.
The Applicant's Guide and its annexes can be consulted here.
All those interested are invited to participate in this public consultation process, sending proposals to: joint.secretariat@brecoradea.ro, until June 13, 2023, 17.00 hours EET.
The 1st Monitoring Committee (MC) meeting of the Interreg VI-A Romania-Hungary Programme took place on Monday, May 22nd, 2023, in Szeged (Hungary).
The designated members and observers of the two national delegations, representing both public institutions (central, regional, and local) and civil society (academic environment and NGOs), gathered to decide upon relevant documents meant to ensure the Programme's sound and smooth implementation.
Thus, the Rules of Procedure of the Monitoring Committee (establishing the MC’s procedural framework), the Applicant’s Guide for the 1st Open Call for project proposals (presenting the main rules to be followed by applicants during the submission process), as well as the Visual Identity Manual for 2021-2027 period (guiding the future project partners in relation to their transparency and communication responsibilities) have been approved by consensus.
Further, the revised version of the Applicant’s Guide will be publicly consulted for 5 days, following which, the 1st Open Call will be officially launched in early June.
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The presentations delivered at the 1st Monitoring Committee (MC) meeting can be downloaded below:
The Launching Conference of Interreg VI-A Romania – Hungary Programme was a real success. More than 100 stakeholders attended the event organized in Oradea, Romania, on Europe’s Day.
Organized by the Ministry of Development, Public Works and Administration (MDPWA), as Managing Authority, represented by H.E. the Minister of MDPWA, Mr Cseke Attila, the Conference was honoured by the presence of important guests, among which: H.E. the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Mr Szijjártó Péter, H.E. the Hungarian Ambassador in Bucharest, Mr Zákonyi Botond, H.E. the Romanian Ambassador in Budapest, Mr Gabriel Șopandă, Romanian and Hungarian Governments’ representatives, as well as the representative of the European Commission, Mr Slawomir Tokarski, Director.
Local and regional relevant stakeholders in the programme area were among the distinguished participants: county council’s presidents and vice-presidents, the mayor of Oradea - hosting town of the event - Bihor County’s Prefect, General Director of the West Regional Development Agency, representatives of different institutions involved in European Programmes, current and future partners of Romania-Hungary Programmes.
The Conference was opened by the official speeches of the two representatives of the Romanian and Hungarian Governments and the representative of the European Commission, introduced by Mr Dan Bălănescu, the Head of the Managing Authority, followed by panel discussions concerning the context of cooperation between Romania and Hungary, facilitated by Ms Livia Banu, Executive Director of BRECO.
Subjects such as the reasons and scope for, the benefits of, and barriers to cooperation, or regarding capitalization, complementarities and synergies with other EU or national Programme, and the contributions to EU Macroregional Strategies of the Interreg Programmes have been tackled by the speakers: Ms Camelia Coporan, The General Director of European Territorial Cooperation within the Ministry of Development, Public Works and Administration, Mr Dan Bălănescu, the Head of the Managing Authority, Mr Stefanik András, Head of Unit Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Mr Viktor Oroszi, Coordinator of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region in Hungary, Mr Iustin Cionca, President of Arad County Council, Mr Gémes László, President of Csongrád-Csanád County Council, Mr Zalai Mihály President of Békés County Council, Mr Mircea Mălan, Vice-president of Bihor County Council, Mr Pajna Zoltán, President of Hajdú-Bihar County Council, Mr Seszták Oszkár, President of Szabolcs-Szatmár- Bereg County Council, Mr Pataki Csaba, President of Satu-Mare County Council, Ms Anna-Monika Modzelewska, Desk officer, DG Regio, Mr Sorin Maxim, General Director of West Region Development Agency and Mr Sławomir Tokarski Director, REGIO.D European Commission.
Technical details regarding new financing opportunities supported through the Programme were provided by Ms Monica Terean, the Head of the Joint Secretariat. The presentation included Programme’s main features: programme area, allocation, priorities and specific objectives, indicative actions to be supported, envisaged types of calls & projects, estimated calendar for launching the calls etc.
In the end, the guests had the opportunity to enjoy a unique pipe organ concert, performed by Mr Eduard Antal, in the Roman Catholic Cathedral, part of the Baroque Palace of Oradea complex.
The Interreg VI-A Romania-Hungary Programme Launching Conference was live-streamed on Facebook.
Many thanks to all those who attended the event, either in person or online!
, the Government of Hungary 
and the European Commission 
have confirmed their participation in the event, which will be further boosted by the invited keynote speakers within the panel and facilitated by Mrs Livia Banu, executive director of BRECO, the institution hosting of the Joint Secretariat and First Level Control of the Interreg VI-A Romania-Hungary Programme.
The Ministry of Development, Public Works and Administration, as Managing Authority for the Interreg VI-A Romania-Hungary Programme 2021-2027, launches for public consultation, today, April 7th 2023, the Applicant’s Guide for the 1st Open Call for project proposals.
The document intends to help the applicants to prepare the content of the project proposals to be submitted under 1st Open Call, within the Interreg VI-A Romania–Hungary Programme. It provides information on how to fill in the application, budget and related forms, the application procedure, the project selection criteria and other practical advice.
The Applicant’s Guide and its annexes can be consulted here.
All interested stakeholders are invited to take part in this public consultation and share their comments and proposals! Check the Applicant’s Guide, analyse it and send us your contribution at: joint.secretariat@brecoradea.ro.ro until 7th of May, 2023. After the consultation, the Applicant’s Guide will be approved by the Monitoring Committee of Interreg VI-A Romania-Hungary Programme.
REGIOSTARS, the annual competition organised by the European Commission, Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policies (DG REGIO), has reached its 16th edition. Over the years, the competition has become a mark of excellence for EU-funded innovative and inclusive projects in terms of regional development.
In this context, the Managing Authority encourages beneficiaries of projects implemented and completed under the Interreg V-A Romania-Hungary Programme to participate in this competition.
The application shall be submitted via the online platform until 31 May 2023 under the following thematic categories:
The winners of each of the 6 categories will be selected by an independent jury and will benefit from a local communication campaign managed in cooperation with DG REGIO to promote the awarded activities in the region.
As in previous years, the public will also have the opportunity to vote for their favourite finalist project for the "Public Choice Award".
The REGIOSTARS award ceremony will be held in Ostrava (Czech Republic) on 16 November 2023.
More details on the competition are available here. Also, for further information on the application process, the description of the award categories, eligibility and award criteria, please consult the Application Guide.
ROHU beneficiaries interested in participating should contact the Joint Secretariat at: joint.secretariat@brecoradea.ro.
Important: Only completed projects will be considered. A completed project is a project that has carried out all planned activities, has received the final financial contribution and has been declared closed by the project beneficiary and/or the Managing Authority.
Eye-catching natural attractions, unspoiled habitats and millions of animal species, this diverse region opens up to us when we look down from the western Carpathian Mountains through the gorge valley of Crişul Repede River towards the Körös-Maros National Park.
This wonderful cross-border area inspired the representatives of the Don Orione Beneficence Charity Society (RO) to cooperate with the Directorate of the Körös-Maros National Park (HU) and the Békés County Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HU) to implement the project "Joint Challenge and Joint Cooperation for the Management of Cross-Border Natural Heritage" (ROHU-7), financed from the European Regional Development Fund of the European Union and by the 2 partner countries, through Interrreg V-A ROHU Programme, with more than one million euros.
One of the main objectives of the project was to protect and promote these wonderful places rich in biodiversity and to change the attitude of tourists towards the importance of appreciating the natural heritage and environmentally friendly, active recreation.
Within the framework of the project, an investment for environmental education was built, thematic routes and learning paths were created, activities aimed at the conservation of protected species and the eradication of invasive species, and training on knowledge transfer was implemented.
The Romanian partner has built a tourist refuge in the village of Zece Hotare, (Șuncuiuș), for visitors who take part in mountain or cave tours or simply want to admire the beauty of the place. The tourist refuge called "Belvedere" also has a high-stand observation point, providing visitors with beautiful views and the opportunity to organize environmental education programs. The tourist refuge is innovative in its own way, as tourists can freely enter the building during the day or even at night.
On the Hungarian side of the border, specific measures have also been taken to improve the condition of the protected areas. The transformation of the structure of agriculture and the spread of invasive plant species have transformed and impoverished the region. The project has successfully combated these negative developments, improving the condition of habitats, as well as increasing biodiversity and the socio-economic wealth provided by the region. The realized results not only helped to preserve the beautiful landscape but also created tourist value.
Within the framework of the project, the development of the environmental education infrastructure of the Körös Valley Visitor Centre and Animal Park operating there was realized in the center of the Körös-Maros National Park Directorate in Szarvas. A new environmental education building has been built, and the existing nature trail has been expanded with new, interactive stations. The number of visitors to the Körös Valley Visitor Centre and Animal Park has gradually increased over the years, so the message represented by the project is also reaching an ever wider audience.
At the same time, under the direction of the Békés County Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BMKIK), the Békéscsaba Tourist Information Point was modernized, thereby expanding the range of services and improving its quality. BMKIK has created an authentic tourist experience while developing a positive attitude and sustainable attitude towards the natural heritage (through participation in the numerous conferences, events and 6 trade fairs held).
The BMKIK has also developed a Joint Tourist Strategy, the partners monitor and apply the directions of tourism development and the measures set out in the document. Thanks to the implementation of the project, the institutional capacity of BMKIK has also been improved.
The three partners are confident that their joint work will significantly increase the number of visitors in the area affected by the project in the long run. From now on, tourists, visitors and persons, organizations, and institutions interested in this area will be able to benefit from services specialising in promoting tourism in the cross-border area.
The CBN|ROHU72 project aims to improve the institutional cross-border cooperation network, increase interoperability, and preventive and mitigating capacity in emergency situations by addressing specific risks, ensuring resilience, and developing disaster management systems.
To achieve such objectives, 5 institutions from 3 counties have joined forces within the project’s partnership, having a total budget of € 2,682,782.50, of which ERDF co-financing is € 2,280,365.12.
During the 55 months of project implementation (May 2019 - November 2023), the partners will contribute to the quality of common risks management by increasing the intervention capacity (specific objective 1), increasing the preparedness of institutions, citizens, professionals, and volunteers for a common approach to different types of risk (specific objective 2) and improving disaster resilience capacity in the cross-border area (specific objective 3).
The efficient collaboration between the five partners, the Inter-Community Development Association for Emergency Situations Management (Lead beneficiary), the Administrative-Territorial Unit of Arad County (PP2), the Administrative-Territorial Unit of Timis County (PP3), the DKMT Euroregional Development Agency (PP4) and the Volunteer Firefighter Association of Mórahalom (PP5), resulted in the completion of most of the activities foreseen in the project, thus enabling the following results:
By the end of the project, partners are going to implement the following activities:
The financial progress of the project, as of 01.03.2023 was € 1,928, 320.58.
At the end of the implementation period, as a result of the actions carried out within ROHU-72 project, 770,906 people in the 3 partner counties will benefit from increased protection in case of emergency situations.
The project, "Conservation, protection and promotion of the natural values from the Salonta-Békéscsaba cross border area, ROHU-14 – The Nature Corner", has only a few more activities left to complete until 30 June 2023, which will mark the end of its implementation period.
Launched in March 2018, the project started as a cross-border, public-private partnership between the Municipality of Salonta (project leader), Milvus Transylvania West Association, the Municipality of Békés and Körösök Völgye Natúrpark Association from Hungary.
The project’s main activities focus on three areas: tourism, nature conservation, education and awareness-raising, all devised to protect the Great Bastards, a critically endangered (CR) specie in Romania and classified as vulnerable (VU) globally.
In 2022, the Municipality of Salonta, the project leader, carried out significant activities to protect and showcase the local natural values (video on results available here) such as:
Visitors will be able to find out more about the natural and cultural values on the outskirts of Salonta either by walking or cycling. By the end of the project, 23 information boards will be placed along the four themed trails and a guide of these routes will be printed in three languages (Romanian, Hungarian and English).
On a final note, we invite you to watch here a few retrospective footages with great bustards captured during 2022 in Salonta.
The Monitoring Committee of the Interreg V-A Romania-Hungary Programme met online, on February 3rd 2023, to discuss important implementation-related aspects.
The main topics on the Agenda concerned ROHU Programme’s performance at closure. In this context, the MC was called to decide upon the future commitment of unused ERDF and the related Cooperation Programme’s modification.
The Head of the Joint Secretariat delivered a short presentation, providing relevant information on the premises leading to the availability of ERDF funds at Programme level, the procedural steps, legal background and rationale for the further use of such funds and the proposed funding scenario. The presentation also included brief descriptions of the Additional Funding Requests submitted by the relevant strategic projects. Based on the information provided and in compliance with the provisions of the Methodology on how to use available ERDF in the context of Interreg V-A Romania-Hungary Programme previously approved by the Monitoring Committee, and the approach agreed upon in the national delegations, the Monitoring Committee decided to award additional funding to ROHU flagship projects, ensuring thus the attainment of their outstanding achievements in the border area.
Reallocation of ERDF will result in a modified Cooperation Programme, to be further approved by the European Commission as well.
The meeting benefited from the presence of the European Commission’s representative, who, along with MA, NA and JS, confirmed their full support, for a smooth and successful implementation of the projects and Programme.
The presentation delivered during the meeting is available below.
The Interreg VI-A Romania-Hungary Programme was adopted by the European Commission on December 16, 2022.
Having a total allocation of 175,940,025 EUR, out of which 140,752,020 EUR ERDF, the new Programme will be jointly implemented by Romania, as Managing Authority, hosted by the Ministry of Development, Public Works and Administration and Hungary as National Authority, hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
The vision for the ROHU Programme is a greener, more resilient, and cohesive cross-border region between Romania and Hungary, with enhanced understanding of cooperation opportunities, increased trust and reduced barriers to cooperation, towards Agenda 2030 common targets with a more sustainable cooperation framework.
The ROHU Programme strategy is articulated under 3 priorities, addressing:
The ROHU Programme will support cross-border joint initiatives, such as exchange of experience, joint strategies/action plans, joint actions, contributing to obtaining the following expected results:
The envisaged projects will impact the entire Programme area comprising 8 counties, 4 in Romania (Arad, Bihor, Satu Mare and Timiș) and 4 in Hungary (Békés, Csongrád-Csanád Hajdú-Bihar and Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg).
Relevant programming documents, including SEA procedure, are available here.
The Monitoring Committee of the Interreg V-A Romania-Hungary Programme met on October 11th 2022, to discuss the programme's implementation status and to decide on the future use of the available ERDF.
On the occasion, the European Commission representative presented the Guidelines on the closure of operational programmes adopted for assistance from the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (2014-2020) 2021/C 417/01.
The Head of the Joint Secretariat provided information regarding the ROHU state of play, particularly on the main results obtained by the projects, the overall Programme’s performance and the communication activities performed this year, including the 2022 Annual Event, and short insights into the future Programme.
To facilitate the achievement of the highest absorption rate, the MC members approved by consensus the Methodology on how to use the available ERDF, resulting from finalized projects’ savings or that could be further identified as the Programme’s implementation moves forward.
The presentations delivered during the meeting are available below.
We appreciate the support and contribution of all participants!
Methodology available ERDF MC-10
State of Play InterregRoHu Oct 2022 MC-10
Presentation to ETC IPA 22 09 22
Get inspired by young professionals in RO-HU border area!
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 Barber |
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 Confectioner |
 Dentist |
 Doctor |
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 Electro-technician |
 Event manager |
 Hairdresser |
 Hairdresser |
 Horse breeder |
 Intercultural-mediator |
 Lawyer |
 Lecturer |
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 Researcher-geology |
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The Romanian beneficiaries of Subsidy contracts can adjust their public procurement contracts/sectoral contracts/framework agreements related to investment projects financed from non-reimbursable European funds, by updating the prices according to the Memoranda approved in the Romanian Government meeting on May 23, 2022, available on Ministry of Investment and European Projects site at these links:
The Memoranda were approved for the implementation of Government Emergency Ordinance no. 64/2022 provisions on the adjustment of prices and the value of general estimates in projects financed from non-reimbursable external funds.
Between 17-18 May we had the pleasure to host the visit of our colleagues from the European Commission (EC), namely Mr. Pascal BOIJMANS, Head of Unit - Interreg, Cross-Border Cooperation, Internal Borders (DG Regio), and Ms. Anna-Monika MODZELEWSKA, our ROHU Programme’s desk officer.
The EC representatives were greeted by Mr. Dan BĂLĂNESCU, the Head of the Managing Authority (MA) and Mrs. HORVÁTH Nikoletta, on behalf of the National Authority (HUNA). Mrs. Livia BANU, Executive Director of BRECO and Mrs. Monica TEREAN, the Head of the Joint Secretary, accompanied the guests throughout the stay.
On the occasion, besides the analysis of the current Programme’s implementation status, 4 investment objectives, financed either under strategic or normal projects, were visited on both sides of the border. In Debrecen, on-site visits were performed to the Romanian-Hungarian cross-border cultural incubator for performing arts (ROHU 445) and the Romanian-Hungarian Cross-Border Education Centre of Cultural and Historical Heritage (ROHU 446), while in Oradea, the History, Ethnography and Art sections, as well as the Conference Hall renovated within “Țării Crișurilor” Museum (ROHU 446) were presented to the delegation. A guided tour of the newly inaugurated automated medical analysis laboratory of the County Clinical Emergency Hospital Oradea (ROHU 357) was also organized.
Glancing to the future, aspects regarding the new Interreg VI-A Romania-Hungary Programme, submitted to the European Commission on April 1st, 2022 were discussed in the context of technical/networking meetings held. Among the topics on the agenda were the operations of strategic importance proposals, the partnership principle and the administrative capacity building.
Our guests were impressed by the natural and cultural heritage of the visited area, especially by the rich Art-Nouveau Heritage and appreciated the Programme’s and beneficiaries’ endeavors to jointly develop a harmonized cross-border region, through operations addressing common challenges and through close cooperation in the context of current and future ROHU Interreg Programmes.
SEA related documents (RO):
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SEA related documents (HU): |
We are pleased to announce that the Programming Committee approved the Interreg VI-A Romania-Hungary Programme, during the 4th PC meeting held online on Tuesday, March 22nd, 2022. The next important step in the programming process is the submission of the cooperation programme to the European Commission in view of approval.
In the 2021-2027 programming period, Romania is acting as Managing Authority for the Interreg VI-A Romania-Hungary Programme, which will have a total budget of 175,940,025 Euros, out of which 140,752,020 Euros represent the ERDF contribution, and is going to support projects addressing environmental protection and adaptation to climate change, renewable energy, health, tourism and culture, as well as projects dedicated to improving governance. The envisaged projects will impact the entire Programme area comprising 8 counties, 4 in Romania (Arad, Bihor, Satu Mare and Timiș) and 4 in Hungary (Békés, Csongrád-Csanád Hajdú-Bihar and Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg).
The final document is the result of a transparent cooperation process, based on public consultations, and involving relevant stakeholders in the envisaged area, such as central and local public institutions and administrations, universities, NGOs, the general public, through a series of workshops, surveys, interviews, etc.
You can consult the MDPWA Order no. 1931 / 20.12.2021 and its annexes here: https://mdlpa.ro/pages/programeeuropene20142020
In the attention of Romanian beneficiaries with construction works: the MDPWA Order no. 1931 / 20.12.2021 is in force.
You can consult the document and its annexes here: https://mdlpa.ro/pages/programeeuropene20142020
During October - November 2021, the Managing Authority and the Joint Secretariat performed a series of on-site visits in the eligible area. The first priority was to meet the strategic partners of the Programme, members of the Monitoring Committee for the 2014+ period and of the Programming Committee for 2020+, namely the county councils of Arad, Bihor, Csongrád-Csanád, Békés, Hajdú-Bihar, Satu Mare, Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg and Timiș. The agenda focused on the highlights of the current Programme implementation, but more importantly on the perspectives of the new Programme, currently under development. Projects of strategic importance, the financial allocation for the future Cooperation Programme and the performance framework were discussed. Mr Dan Bălănescu, the Head of the Managing Authority for the Interreg V-A Romania-Hungary Programme, re-confirmed the priorities of the Programme towards the development of the cross-border region, through sustainable yet innovative initiatives. The open communication and a flexible but correct approach are also tools for further cooperation on the Romanian-Hungarian border. The representatives of the eight county councils have actively responded to the call of the Managing Authority and committed to the development of a new generation of flagship projects, for the benefit of the border area.
The tour also included site visits at several projects under implementation.
ROHU-14, The nature corner – “Conservation, protection and promotion of the natural values from the Salonta-Békéscsaba crossborder area” is a project aiming towards the improvement of the conservation status of the protected areas in the Salonta- Békés cross-border region, and towards increasing the population awareness regarding the sustainable use of natural heritage. To achieve these important aims, the cities of Salonta in Bihor County and Békés in Békés County, partnered up with 2 associations activating in the field of environmental protection Milvus Transylvania West Association and Körösök Valley Nature Park Association. More than 2,54 million euro from ERDF was allocated to this project, for the creation of 2 visitor centres in the cities of Salonta and Békés, for caring out ecological restauration actions and awareness-raising events, and for determining ways in which better conservation can be achieved for the local protected species.
ROHU-380, Verba Docent– “Adult education in the field of healthy life and sustainable living environment”, a cooperation project in the field of increasing the employment within the eligible area, implemented by the Excelsior NGO, the Association for the Promotion of Natural and Cultural Heritage of Banat and Crișana (R0) and Körös-Maros Foundation for Rural Development and Eco-Agriculture (HU). The project consists in the construction of 2 adult education centers and targets 960 participants in joint local employment initiatives and joint training, through 33 courses in different domains, such as agriculture, informatics and sports, as well as 8 job fairs.
ROHU-208, AQUALITY – “Improving Quality Management of Cross-border Rivers: Criș (Körös), Mureș (Maros) and Tisa (Tisza)”, which aims at improving the water quality in the main rivers from the cross-border region. As operators of the public water systems in Arad and Csongrád-Csanád counties, Arad Water Company and Szeged Waterworks, together with the Local Government of Algyő, are jointly implementing large scale investments in the waterworks sector, within this cooperation project, with a total budget of over 4 million euro, out of which more than 2,54 mil euro are financed from the ERDF. The 6 wastewater treatment plants will ensure that the water quality of the main cross border rivers is improved, in 6 measuring points.
The Coronavirus pandemic demonstrated to all of us that we are not prepared well enough to prevent an epidemic. However, what we can do is to limit the spread of infectious diseases by applying swift response measures, as required. The new Coronavirus put huge pressure on the counties on both sides of the Romanian-Hungarian border, due to the high level of traffic through the border-crossing points. As everyone had to adapt on the go to this health crisis, the hospitals working for communities situated in the border area had to do the same thing twice as fast.
“For the Arad County Council, the fight against COVID -19 was a challenge. An estimate places the number of Romanians transiting our county, as they were coming back into the country, around the figure of 1 million people. This also resulted in a high number of infections among the local community in Arad”, Mr Iustin Cionca, the president of Arad County Council, explained. Working together in partnership with the Csongrád County Health Care Center - Hódmezővásárhely-Makó, the Arad County Council aims to contribute to an improvement in the quality of medical services and the safety of patients within the border-based communities.
Thus, three hospitals have become partners in the ROHU-361 StopGerms project, to jointly prevent and monitor the infectious diseases and the hospital-acquired infections. Almost 2.55 million EUR (ERD F) is allocated through this project in order to develop infrastructure, to procure medical equipment and to organize several workshops, which are aimed at identifying advanced methods for prevention and treatment in the case of infectious diseases and some joint protocols in case of epidemics. The beneficiaries of this project are Dr. Diósszilágyi Sámuel Hospital in Makó, Erzsébet Hospital in Hódmezővásárhely (member institutions of the Csongrád County Health Care Center) and the Arad County Clinical Emergency Hospital. The hospital in Arad benefits from a new building and from state-of-the-art equipment, due to this project. Because of the pandemic, this health care unit reconfigured the required equipment for the Infectious Diseases Department. 15 emergency trolleys, 2 video laryngoscopes, 25 mobile secretion aspirators and 25 air purifiers had to be purchased over a short time.
As regards the Hungarian Beneficiary, StopGerms translates into two partially refurbished and reorganized hospital departments; furthermore, both health care units will receive new cleaning and sanitary equipment. Moreover, the experts within the Csongrád County Health Care Centre Hódmezővásárhely-Makó aim at preparing an efficient strategy for prevention of hospital-acquired infections, including the purchase of a “…software which can help to control the quality of cleaning, and a device which can be used for the monitoring of the hand sanitizing habits of the medical staff […] With the help of the device we will teach the inhabitants, including students and the elderly to sanitize their hands correctly, which is very topical at the time of COVID -19”, specified Mrs Gyurisné Pethő Zsuzsanna, project manager. In addition, the Hungarian experts will share their relevant experience with the professionals from Arad.
Thus, more and more wins may be recorded in the “war” against infectious diseases for the 442,155 patients on both sides of the border.
The aim of the survey is to collect additional details from the perspective of the potential beneficiaries and former beneficiaries during projects’ preparation, motivations for future involvement as potential beneficiaries of the Programme 2021-2027 and, in particular, existing project ideas. The results will help us to build a new Programme with increased potential impact on both territories and people.
The questionnaire template to be accessed here - https://forms.gle/HrxHomjPPrStu8dm6
The survey will remain open until September 8th, 2021.
For information and questions, please contact cbinterregrohu@urbasofia.eu (RO/HU/ENG).
Starting with November 2019, Arad County Council, together with Csongrád-Csanád County Health Care Center - Hódmezővásárhely - Makó is implementing the project ROHU- 361 “Joint prevention and surveillance of infectious diseases and hospital-acquired infections in Arad, Makó and Hódmezővásárhely”.
Csongrád-Csanád County Health Care Center - Hódmezővásárhely - Makó considers hands hygiene a high priority, since both among residents and within in-patient hospital care, the deficiency of hands hygiene shows to be a risk factor in the formation of infections.
To teach proper hands-wash, a state-of-the-art HandInScan device was procured by the Hungarian partner. By teaching and checking the proper way of hands washing and sanitizing, this device plays an important role in reducing the spread of infections.
With the help of the device purchased through the project, trainings were conducted in Domonkos Nővérek Liszt Ferenc Musical Primary School in Hódmezővásárhely and in Szignum Bilingual Ecclesiastical Primary School in Makó. The joint goal of the Hungarian partner, together with the schools, was to promote the proper technique of handwashing and sanitizing.
The trainings were held by 4 people, all qualified health professionals. During the educational process, after sanitizing the hands with an indicator gel, the adequacy of hands-wash was monitored with the help of the hand-scanner.
As a result of the educational process conducted, the following results were obtained:
The training gathered 613 attendees, of which 583 students and 30 teachers. They learned the proper way to sanitize their hands in the frame of 4 training sessions per day. Altogether, during 8 days, the specialized staff spent 24 hours training the attendees from 31 classes.
In Hódmezővásárhely the best-performing class achieved a score of 98% at the correct hygiene of the hands, while the lowest performance was of 85.2%. The most frequently missed areas during sanitizing the hands were the fingertips.
In Makó, the best-performing class managed to achieve a score of 93.3%, while the lowest performance was 68.6%. The most frequently missed areas during sanitizing the hands were the fingers and the dorsal side of the hand.
Between 26 – 29 July 2021, the structures of the Interreg V-A Romania-Hungary Programme, particularly representatives of the Ministry of Development, Public Works and Administration in Romania, Joint Secretariat and BRECO Oradea, organized a series of site visits to 5 strategic projects, to monitor their progress and to support them in implementing their planned activities.
The series of site visits started in Satu Mare, with project ROHU 457, ROcHUs, “Care for health in Satu Mare and Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg counties”. On the Romanian side, the project aims at improving the quality of the medical services in 14 departments of Satu Mare County Emergency Hospital, by expanding the hospital and building a heliport, as well as by purchasing medical equipment. On the Hungarian side, Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County Hospitals and University Hospital already purchased the medical equipment, while the acquisition for medical and IT equipment at Felső-Szabolcs Hospital is in progress. The total ERDF funds allocated to this project amount to more than EUR 11.29 million. Once implemented, the project will provide better medical services for more than 903,000 inhabitants on both sides of the border and 17 health-care departments will be equipped with modern devices.
On the 27th of July the project visits continued in Nyiregyhaza, with ROHU 456, EASYDOOR – “Easing Access to Systemic Discovery of Our Origins and Resources”, a cooperation project in the field of sustainable use of natural, historic, and cultural heritage. More than EUR 10.62 million ERDF is allocated through this project to develop tourism infrastructure, among the activities of the project being the restoration of 15 churches and of a historical walk, developing an Eco-Centre in Nagykálló-Harangod, refurbishing the main building of Satu Mare County Museum and organizing exhibitions. The envisaged result of the project is an increase in the number of visits to the supported sites with 30.000.
Day 3rd, the 28th of July, was dedicated to other two strategic projects in the same field, sustainable use of natural, historic, and cultural heritage, namely ROHU 445 CBC Incubator - “Romanian-Hungarian cross-border cultural incubator for performing arts” and ROHU 446 EduCultCentre – “Romanian-Hungarian Cross-Border Education Centre of Cultural and Historical Heritage”, both having their Lead Beneficiaries and the main investments located in Debrecen.
With a total ERDF budget of about EUR 6 million, ROHU 445 aims to establish a common space in the border area, to connect cultural institutions, artists and cultural professionals in the field of theatre art. A multifunctional cultural institution, the Romanian-Hungarian Cross-border Cultural Incubator for Performing Arts - is to be established in Debrecen by the two Hungarian partners, Csokonai Theatre and Municipality of Debrecen. The conversion of the building hosting the future incubator is in progress. On the Romanian side, the Szigligeti Theatre already finalized the development of the stage space and technology, including a revolving stage, at the Oradea State Theatre. Additionally, a series of cultural events (workshops, exchange of performances) are planned within the project. The envisaged number of 18,462 visits to the supported sites is to be reached by the end of the implementation period.
On the other hand, project ROHU 446 – EduCultCentre – “Romanian-Hungarian Cross-Border Education Centre of Cultural and Historical Heritage”, aims to increase the visibility of the common cultural Romanian and Hungarian values in Europe. Investments of almost EUR 8.4 million ERDF are financed for activities such as: establishing a new multifunctional cultural institution - The Romanian-Hungarian Cross-Border Education Centre of Cultural and Historical Heritage – in Debrecen, modernization and acquisition of equipment for exhibition rooms at the Tarii Crisurilor Museum and infrastructural development of the Cultural House in Oradea. Several soft cultural-related activities are also being implemented by the project partners. The project targets an increase in the number of visits to the supported sites with 25,056.
The series of site visits ended in Timisoara, at project ROHU 443 – BABYROHU – “Babies across borders – connecting health services in the field of obstetrics-gynaecology and neonatal care between Emergency Clinical County Hospital Pius Brînzeu Timișoara and the Pediatric Clinic of Szeged”. The project benefits from an ERDF budget of more than EUR 11.74 million and finances investments in the health care infrastructure, such as the construction of the new Obstetrics-Gynecology Hospital in Timișoara, with 6 floors and 126 beds and the acquisition of equipment and furniture for 13 medical departments. The construction works for the new Obstetrics-Gynecology Hospital in Timișoara just started. The Hungarian partner in this project is also progressing well with its activities, the acquisition of part of the equipment is already finalized. In addition, 4 medical workshops have been already jointly organized with the Romanian partners. 1,976,348 persons will benefit from improved health care services and 15 healthcare departments will be better equipped and modernized.
By their nature, health issues go beyond the limits of the borders between countries. The ROHU 401 HEARTS & LIVES project provides all conditions for a joint approach of health-related needs emerging on both sides of the border. Three renowned institutions in Romania and Hungary, the Timişoara Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, the County Emergency Clinical Hospital in Oradea, and the University of Debrecen have joined their efforts to lower the incidence of cardiovascular and gynecological diseases in the region and to efficiently deal with them.
Since 2015, the incidence of ischemic cardiomyopathy and heart failure cases have been increasing every year in the western part of Romania. This is why the services provided by the Timişoara Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases have become paramount for the entire region. Due to the funding awarded through the Interreg V-A Romania-Hungary Programme, the equipment of healthcare units has improved and new surgery programs have been initiated.
The medical director of the Institute, Mrs. Adina Bucur, MD, explains to us the importance of these investments. “This project aims to sterilize the cardiology departments and to equip two surgery rooms (within the operating theater) with medical devices. Our purpose is to expand the current capacity to provide healthcare for the adult population, as well as to initiate a pediatric heart surgery program.
Specifically, this new equipment for the two operating rooms, allow for an increase by 30% of the number of surgical procedures performed, that means approximately 250 more surgical interventions per year.”
Hearts&Lives also supports some other categories of patients. In the County Emergency Clinical Hospital in Oradea, the future mothers as well as patients suffering from various gynecology-related illnesses now benefit from optimal treatment conditions. “This project has allowed us to equip an operating theater, an Intensive Care Unit and 10 hospital wards with a total of 30 beds with state-of-art equipment, for the patients of the Obstetrics-Gynecology Department,” told us the manager of the hospital, Mr. Gheorghe Carp, MD. The cooperation with Hungarian experts leads to a swift solution in many complicated cases. “For us, these cross-border projects represented an extraordinary opportunity. We have been cooperating for more than eight years with the University of Debrecen, we have implemented quite a great deal of projects together and the clinical experience was beneficial especially in areas such as neurology, cardiovascular surgery, interventional cardiology or gynecology”, Mr. Carp concluded.
The main investment of the project in Hungary is represented by the procurement of some important medical equipment for the University of Debrecen. It is a complex ultrasound system, which is adequate for complex health exams for women, a Plasma Jet surgery system developed to capitalize on the unique properties of the pure plasma energy, a surgery table, a premium cardiovascular ultrasound system featuring a full range of 3D imagery and analysis. Following this project, the inhabitants of Hajdú-Bihar, Timiş, and Bihor counties benefit from improved healthcare services due to the actions taken to identify early signs of illnesses and as a result of the exchange of knowledge among experts. On both sides of the border, the investments and the exchange of experience among doctors provide access to state-of-art treatments for more than 1.6 million patients in the Timiş, Bihor, and Hajdú-Bihar counties, in the 7 healthcare departments that are modernized through this project.
The project was successfully completed. A closing conference took place in Oradea, on the 22nd of July 2021, at the premises of Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital Oradea.
The improvement of health services has been a steady concern for the counties in the border area between Romania and Hungary. The work performed by the specialists in this area has been supported through the Interreg V-A Romania-Hungary Programme, which makes such opportunities available to them in order to be able to work together for the best interest of the local communities. This is also the case of the ROHU-386 CBC-HOSPEQUIP project, through which the “Dr Gavril Curteanu” Oradea Municipal Hospital and the Békés County Central Hospital joined their forces in order to modernize their medical equipment and to provide better medical services to their patients.
“The experts from the two hospitals will set down the protocols and the teams of doctors who will be part of cross-border exchange of experience in various areas of specialization. The exchange of knowledge is highly useful for the improvement of medical practice” explained Mrs Ioana Popa, the project manager on behalf of the Romanian team. The funds allocated to the CBC -HOSPE QUIP project amount to 2.51 million EUR (ERDF).
The two hospitals will be making investments in modern surgical and diagnostic equipment with these amounts. Also, two telemedicine systems will be procured, as the doctors will have the possibility to provide diagnostics remotely, by communicating swiftly and effectively with the patients, as well as with their counterparts over the border. “Throughout these projects, we strive to implement programmes that are able to provide the doctors as well as other professionals in the health sector with the opportunity to supply customized and integrated health services. In cooperation with the medical staff from the two hospitals, we aim to implement teamwork between the specialized practitioners working in these institutions, by developing online communication and meetings. This type of teamwork shall contribute to the development and improvement in the quality of care for our patients. These institutions organize methods of cooperation that provide a possibility to supply preventive, diagnostic and treatment services in due time, by designing joint protocols relying on the same principles, by using state-of-the-art technology and by sharing the latest knowledge available in this sector in both countries”, told us the representatives of the Hungarian team.
Both partners have already initiated the tender proceedings for the procurement of equipment. Several training sessions are to be hosted by the two hospitals, however, due to the Coronavirus pandemic, these meetings were rescheduled for September- October 2020.
Once implemented, the project will be providing the doctors with the required equipment and vocational training in order to increase accessibility and quality of health services, while the patients will be benefiting from an additional assurance that their lives are placed in good hands. No less than 180,000 inhabitants on both sides of the border will be benefiting from improved medical services while six healthcare departments will be equipped with modern devices.
ROHU 386
ERDF Contribution (EUR ): 2.511.187,30
Lead beneficiary: “Dr. Gavril Curteanu” Oradea Municipal Hospital (Romania)
Project partner: Békés County Central Hospital (Hungary)
The new cohesion policy legislative package for the 2021-2027 period, adopted on 24.06.2021, has been published in the Official Journal of the European Union.
The „cohesion package” includes three EU funds to strengthen the EU’s economic, social and territorial cohesion, with a total of 243 billion euro, namely:
More information can be found here.
On Monday, June 14, 2021, the Programming Committee (PC) of the Interreg Programme between Romania and Hungary, for the period 2021-2027 approved the selection of the Policy Objectives (PO) and relevant Interreg Specific Objective (ISO) to be financed in the next programming period.
The decision has been taken based on the scenarios proposed by the programming experts. The Programme strategy and intervention logics and the Interreg Programme related sections were built upon the main conclusions resulting from the approved Territorial Analysis, enriched with the valuable qualitative inputs of the relevant stakeholders, following the Territorial Impact Analysis workshops in April, and revised after the PC preparatory meeting on June 8th.
Following fruitful and constructive discussions at the meeting, the PC members decided to finance:
PO 2 – A greener cross-border area, through the following specific objectives:
PO 4 – A more social cross-border area, through the following specific objectives:
ISO 1 – A better cooperation governance, through the following specific objectives:
The decision to approve the Programme strategy and intervention logics has been taken by consensus. The Interreg Programme document - sections 1.1 – Programme area, 1.2 – Joint Programme Strategy and 1.3 – Justification for selection of POs (including the related specific objectives) - has been also approved (see the Documents after the 2nd PC meeting -14.06.2021).
As next steps, for the further development of the Programme, Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) procedure will be launched, a survey among potential beneficiaries will be conducted to develop the Programme performance framework and other programming related documents will be elaborated/finalized.
Order 578/20.04.2021 of the Minister for Development Public Works and Administration, regarding the stopping and/or recovery of state aid or de minimis aid awarded through the 2 aid schemes (GBER and De minimis) approved at Programme level, has been published in the Official Journal of Romania no 484/11.V.2021, Part I (https://www.monitoruloficial.ro/Monitorul-Oficial--PI--484--2021.html).
You can consult the RO version of the entire document here, respectively, an excerpt in EN (unofficial translation) here.
April 30, 2021 marked the completion of the project ROHU-54 "RiskMan- Cooperation on risk prevention and disaster management in the Zerind - Újkígyós cross-border area".
Implemented in the period spamming between 01.04.2019-30.04.2021 by Zerind Commune (RO), as a Lead beneficiary, in partnership with the City of Újkígyós (HU), project ROHU-54 "RiskMan" benefited of a total budget of 489,230.00 euro, of which 415,845.50 euro represented the financing from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
The project addressed common needs in the field of risk prevention and disaster management, identified on both sides of the border, at the level of the Zerind-Újkígyós area (including fires in the open field, etc.).
The success of the project is based on the integrated cross-border approach, which has brought a number of benefits to the whole area of the project: improved preparedness of intervention teams, increased ability to communicate, reduced response time in emergencies, a better prepared local population in disaster prevention and control, as well as better equipped local emergency response services.
The main activities of the project were:
Due to project ROHU-54 "RiskMan", residents living on both sides of the border have one more reason to feel safe: 14,474 people in the Zerind area and 13,680 people in the Újkígyós area are now protected from disasters by improved emergency response services.
The completion of the project was marked, on 29.04.2021, by a closure event, followed by a press conference.
ROHU-54 „RiskMan” is the 38th project financed within the Interreg VA Romania-Hungary Programme, through the calls for normal projects, that is being completed. By the middle of this year, respectively by June 30, 2021, 2 more projects will be completed, with a total value of 3,439,739.00 euros, of which 2,910,720.04 euros represent ERDF funding.
The European Commission encourages the strategic use of public procurement in Interreg programmes and projects, by ensuring the widespread adoption of green, innovative and social criteria to procurements all across Europe.
This type of procurement plays a key role in the EU's attempt to reduce environmental pollution, to become a resource-efficient economy, and to create job opportunities, social and professional inclusion, and better conditions for disabled and disadvantaged people.
From the perspective of Cohesion policy, the strategic use of public procurement is extremely important to ensure the best value for money for the investments made, as well as to support the achievement of policy objectives for a smarter, greener and more social Europe. Moreover, around half of the Cohesion policy funds for 2014-2020 period, are deployed via public procurement procedures making it a fundamental element of the investment ecosystem.
In this context, we encourage all the beneficiaries of our Programme to include, when feasible, environmental (e.g., green public procurement criteria) and social considerations, as well as innovation incentives into their public procurement procedures.
We share below a series of available knowledge, tools and resources linked to this topic:
March 31, 2021, marked the completion of the ROHU-84 Project “CROSSRISKS - Integrated cross-border approach for improving the cooperation and joint preparedness on risk prevention and disaster management at the level of Bihor Hajdu-Bihar Euroregion”, which is the 37th completed project, funded under the Interreg VA Romania-Hungary Program.
Implemented between 01.04.2018-31.03.2021 by the Association Service for Assistance in Special Situations - SARTISS (as a lead beneficiary and the Hajdu-Bihar County’s Directorate for Disasters’ Management as a project partner, the ROHU-84 CROSSRISKS project benefited from a total budget of 1,207,339 euros, out of which 1,026,238.15 euros represented the financing from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
The project addressed the problems identified, in Bihor and Hajdú Bihar counties, in the field of risk prevention and disaster management, given the evolution of risk types. The success of the project is based on the integrated cross-border approach, combining investment policies and instruments and thus contributing significantly to the development of cooperation.
The main results of the project are:
In this context, following the implementation of the ROHU-84 CROSSRISKS project, the population in the cross-border area benefits from improved safeguard measures. Relevant actors involved in risk prevention and disaster management are trained in the two regional training centres to address cross-border emergencies in the region and will be able to act more effectively based on the Joint Strategy and Protocols developed through the project. All this will significantly contribute to increasing security in the cross-border area.
The Territorial Analysis (TA) is the strategic document based on which the future Interreg Programme between Romania and Hungary, for the period 2021-2027, is elaborated.
An important progress in the programming process is the approval, on March 10, 2021, of the Territorial Analysis by the Programming Committee, the body that ensures the quality and efficiency of the preparation and adoption of the future Programme between Romania and Hungary.
As effective programming is based on the professional experience and valuable contribution of all stakeholders, relevant actors have been involved in the process of developing the Territorial Analysis, representing local and regional authorities, public institutions and NGOs from the eight counties, as well as relevant central authorities Romania and Hungary – acting in different fields, such as public administration, environmental protection, transport, education, healthcare, economic and academic environment. The fruitful discussions led to a comprehensive picture of the real needs in the cooperation area and to the consolidation and completion of this important document.
The activities for the preparation of the future Interreg Programme between Romania and Hungary continue, the programming process taking place according to the established calendar.
The full text of the Territorial Analysis can be consulted here.
Common needs, identified on both sides of the border area, bring communities together, in order to jointly tackle these shared challenges, using a cross-border perspective. This is the case of the firefighters from Bihor and Hajdú-Bihar counties, who managed to establish a close and long-lasting
cooperation in the field of risk prevention and disaster management.
In 2008, the representatives of the newly established “Unit for Assistance in Special Situations – SAR - TISS ” managed to win EU funding in order to build a training centre for firefighters in Bihor county. Situated in Sântion village, the centre occupied 5,000 sq. m. and had areas reserved for raining courses and practical exercises. More than ten years later, the initiators of this project identified the need to extend the building and bring in
a partner from the neighbouring country, Hungary.
Through the Interreg V-A Romania-Hungary Programme, project CROSSRISK managed to access ERDF funding amounting to more than 1 million EUR in order to deliver an integrated centre, the main goal of which is to improve cooperation over disaster and risk management in the Bihor–Hajdú-Bihar Euroregion.
“We wanted to have a centre that allows training of firefighters from all points of view. The Romanian side is responsible for the seek and rescue and the firefighting component, while the Hungarian side is responsible for the search of debris and interventions in case of chemical and biological hazards. The two components are combined and the result is a complete centre” told us Mr Hadrian Borcea, MD, the president of the association.
On the Romanian side, the centre will be extended by using a number of modular structures procured from the Netherlands. These will allow the firefighters to understand the dynamics of the flames, to organize fire extinguishing drills and to execute search missions. The structures will be delivered starting from April 2020 and the centre is scheduled for inauguration in the following months. The firefighters from the two counties
will be trained together, especially that, during the previous year over a period of 4-5 months, they all took part in foreign language courses: the Hungarian firefighters learned Romanian, while the Romanian firefighters were trained in using the Hungarian language.
One thing that people living in the towns situated on the shores of the Mureş river have learned better than others throughout history is how to protect their homes from the fury of the water.
In the past, devastating floods resulted in serious damages on both sides of the border. In Romania alone, the 1970 floods which hit the North- Western part of the country had seriously affected more than 1,500 communities. That year, in May, the water of Mureş river reached the highest level in the history of measurement, threatening Arad city.
Fifty years later, the inhabitants in the cross-border area are ready to face any whimsy weather together. Although the flood might never strike again, no one should take a bet against such odds...
Thanks to the FORMURES project, the Water Administration of Mureş River Basin in Romania and the Lower Tisza District Water Directorate in Hungary are now working on improving the infrastructure against floods and on mapping and designing joint databases on specific risks, thus ensuring an effective level of protection against floods.
FORMURES amounts to a total value of more than 2.68 million EUR and it is implemented over the period spanning from April 2018 - September 2020.
Engineer Cristian Bratanovici, Director of the Water Administration of Mureş River Basin, explains the need for this project: “On the Romanian
section of the Mureş river, on the Pecica-Vladimirescu defence line, there was a risk of flooding the town of Arad, as a result of continuous degradation of the embankment and of the erosion process occurring on the shores of the Mureş. Also, the degradation occurring in the pump station
from Makó is increasing the flood risks associated with the Makó area.”
As regards the investment in Arad, “the works were initiated following the design of the technical documentation and after receiving the required permits”, stated Mr. Cristian Bratanovici.
A lot more is still to be done; nevertheless, the project is about to become a successful one.
Due to this project, people living along of the border have one more reason to feel safe in their own homes. Starting with autumn 2020, more than 323,000 persons will benefit from improved protection measures against floods.
Are you a project beneficiary of Interreg? Are you looking for a volunteer to support, promote and report the achievements of your cooperation project?
Interreg Volunteer Youth (IVY) is the answer! DG REGIO’s IVY initiative continues in 2021, and since January about 30 volunteers have already been deployed in Interreg Programmes and Projects, to assist in communication activities and help in the implementation of projects.
The minimum volunteering period is 2 months and the maximum, 6 months.
We encourage you to find out more about this excellent opportunity here and regarding the application process here.
Two rural communities situated on the Romanian-Hungarian border provide an example of smooth cooperation when confronted with the same challenge: the management of emergency response services in case of fire. This is the story of two communes: Valcani (Romania) and Földeák (Hungary).
Around 36,900 persons who are living in the area of Valcani – Dudeștii Vechi – Sânnicolau Mare (Timiș county) – Földeák – Óföldeák – Kiszombor – Pitvaros – Királyhegyes – Apátfalva – Csanádpalota - Magyarcsanád (Csongrád-Csánad county) were vulnerable in case they were confronted with household fires, a quite frequent phenomenon in rural communities. Due to the commitment of local authorities in Valcani and Földeák, the two communities and the neighbouring villages benefit from an improved infrastructure for the volunteer-based emergency services.
Through the Interreg V-A Romania-Hungary Programme, the two partners were able to absorb EU funds amounting to 369,028 EUR to procure two fire engines and protection equipment for the
firefighters. The project was finalised on December 31, 2019, and it included training courses for 65 firefighters and information seminars for children and parents. Moreover, the two volunteer-based intervention units in case of emergency situations also organized joint drills in order to improve their level of preparedness.
The two parties have signed an agreement which allows joint intervention in special cases, that might occur in the border area. “The cooperation agreement concluded by the two partners relies on a joint strategy for intervention in case of an emergency occurring in the cross-border area.
For the future, the two volunteer-based units aim to continue their exchange of experience through meetings organized on both sides of the border”, states Mrs Adina Galu, the deputy mayor of Valcani commune.
In accordance with the obligations imposed by Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013, Annex XII, section 2.1.2 (f), on the responsibilities of the Member State and the Managing Authority to provide updated information on the implementation of the Programme, including its main achievements, we are pleased to inform you that the Interreg V-A Romania-Hungary Programme has exceeded the decommitment target set for the year 2020.
Despite of a difficult year, marked by the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic - as a result of preventive or remedial measures taken by the Managing Authority - the decommitment target for 2020 and an absorption rate of 25.26% of the ERDF allocation of the Programme have been successfully achieved.
By the 30th of December 2020, 23 payment applications for reimbursement, worth more than 47.77 million EUR FEDR, out of which 29.86 EUR in 2020, were submitted to the European Commission.
The decommitment target for 2020 of more than EUR 29,86 million has thus been reached and even exceeded by EUR 0,32 million.
We welcome the progress made toward achieving the Programme objectives, as well as the efforts made so far, and we wish success to all beneficiaries in the further implementation and closure of their projects.
The 8th meeting of the Monitoring Committee of the Interreg V-A Romania-Hungary Programme was held on 17 December 2020.
The Monitoring Committee meeting was exceptionally held online due to the restrictive conditions imposed by the current epidemiological situation Covid-19.
The overall status of implementation of the Programme, the progress made in meeting the performance targets and the N+3 target at Programme level, as well as the simplification and acceleration measures implemented by the Management Authority to achieve these objectives, were presented.
A detailed analysis of the magnitude of the impact generated by the current crisis was carried out in the context, quantifying the impact on the Programme and the projects funded under it. The potential risks and the actions to prevent or remedy them, decided by the Management Authority, were also presented. Particular attention has been paid to the presentation of simplification measures adopted to help beneficiaries minimize the related negative effects.
The presence of the representative of DG Regio from the European Commission at the event, which wished to welcome the efforts made in recent months by the program structures, is to be specified. Also, the representative of DG Regio emphasized that the European Commission recognized and appreciated the efforts made by the Member States involved in cross-border cooperation to go through such a difficult period.
Under the Interreg V-A Romania-Hungary Programme, 109 projects have been contracted so far, with a total value of EUR 232,22 million, representing 92,85% of the Programme budget.
Payments under the program have reached EUR 44.75 million so far, with payments of EUR 16.37 million made during 2020. Prospects are optimistic in terms of avoiding disengagement in this third year of the Programme.
The preparation of the future Programme for 2021-2027 made significant progress during 2020 in the contracting of external expertise and the organization of numerous consultation events with potential applicants. Most importantly, the Territorial Analysis and related documents are completed (up to the consultation stage).
The European Commission approved the modification of the Interreg V-A Romania-Hungary Programme, on November 16th, 2020.
The Management Authority of the Interreg V-A Romania-Hungary has initiated and obtained the approval of the third revision of the Cooperation Programme. Thus, the fourth version of the Programme allows for increasing the ERDF co-financing rate to 100%, for expenditures declared in payment applications during the accounting year starting July 1st 2020 and ending June 30th 2021.
This modification – justified in the epidemiological context of the outbreak of the pandemic generated by Sars-COV-19, and allowed by the EU specific measures to provide exceptional flexibility for the use of the European Structural and Investments Funds in response to the current crisis – aims at increasing flexibility in the Programme’s implementation, and also at reducing the financial constraints in this difficult context.
The Cooperation Programme’s modification also consists of updating the target values set for 2023 for defining some output, results and financial indicators.
Finally, the modification includes the official change of the name of the Hungarian region NUTS-3 “Csongrád”, which was changed in “Csongrád-Csanád”.
The revised Cooperation Programme is available on the Programme website, here.
Between 19 - 23 October 2020, a series of 6 on-line consultation workshops have been organized, in the context of finalizing the Territorial Analysis, a strategic document elaborated under the programming process related to the future Interreg Programme between Romania and Hungary (2021-2027).
More than 160 participants, representing local and regional authorities, public institutions and NGOs from the 8 counties of the Programme area, as well as relevant central authorities in both partner countries, acting in different fields, like public administration, environmental protection, transport, education, healthcare, economic and academic environment and others, attended to these workshops.
During the events, valuable qualitative information and knowledge have been shared between participants and programming experts, contributing thus to a more comprehensive image of the real needs in the Programme area. The high qualified experts presented the main findings of a complex process of analysing statistical data (mainly European sources, but also national statistics) and existing local/regional/national strategies. Also, the main cross-crossing strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats have been identified with the help of more than 120 indicators and further structured in relation to each of the 5 Policy Objectives proposed by the new EU regulatory framework. Nevertheless, even if based on a considerable volume of data, the Territorial Analysis has to be completed with inputs from the “real-life”, by an in-depth local data analysis in order to identify the common real threats, the obstacles hindering the cross-border cooperation and finding the best solutions to bridge the existing gaps, to jointly overcome the challenges. This was, in fact, the main purpose of these consultation workshops.
Furthermore, both the programming experts and participants attending the workshops underlined the importance of designing a cooperation programme having not only a strong cross-border character but which also develops complementarities and synergies with other programmes/funding opportunities in the area.
Besides the information gathered during the workshops, participants have been invited to submit all relevant data available at local/regional and even national level, any recently updated strategy and to share the future directions of development envisaged at institutional level.
The fruitful discussions highlighted several common priorities for the future Programme. Handling waste management (circular economy, renewable energy) and joint risk management (climate changes, floods, earthquakes), joint management of protected areas and riparian zones are some of the directions identified by both partner countries as of outmost importance, to be addressed under Policy Objective 2 – a greener Europe.
Better healthcare infrastructure and services, inclusion of disadvantaged categories, depopulation phenomenon, education are important domains which, considering also the actual Covid-19 crisis and the considerable impact thereof, not only on the targeted area, but also at European Union level, have to be considered as first priorities, under Policy Objective 4 – a more social Europe. Despite the high potential in the Programme area in what concerns the cultural heritage and touristic attractions, the correlation between Programme and projects indicators seems to be difficult. Moreover, in the actual and most probably near future context, several obstacles in terms of impact and sustainability of such initiatives have to be overcome.
The presence of important university centres in the area, on both sides of the border, as well as the growing of Foreign Direct Investments, represent an important potential for research and innovation, for ICT and digitization initiatives, under Policy Objective 1 – a smarter Europe.
As regards connectivity in the context of Policy Objective 3 – a more connected Europe, the main obstacles identified were the deficient railway network in the area and different status in relation to Schengen of the 2 partner countries. However, developing cross-border public services and digital networks are considered good opportunities for cooperation.
Opportunities and threats that could be tackled under Policy Objective 5 - a Europe closer to citizens have been also presented and briefly discussed, with focus on the real needs existing on both sides of the border and on the possibility to jointly address such needs.
High interest in both Interreg Specific Objectives (ISOs) was expressed by participants and even one strategic project idea was mentioned. ISO1-a better Interreg governance, having a wider addressability as compared with ISO2- a safer Europe, represents a great opportunity to increase the institutional capacity of and cooperation between local stakeholders, to complement the lack of statistical data by developing common databases. Also, relevant national stakeholders could cooperate for identifying possible solution to the legal and administrative obstacles.
All relevant inputs and information gathered within the workshops, as well as further made available to the programming experts, will be integrated in the final version of the Territorial Analysis for a coherent and comprehensive document, based on which the future cooperation programme is to be developed.
