Hungarian-Croatian CBC Programmes

HU-HR eligible programme area

Data about the programme area Size: km 2 HU: 3 border counties HR: 4 border counties + 4 adjacent counties (20% rule) Croatian-Hungarian border: 328 km 14,9% of all Croatian land borders 15,5% of all Hungarian land borders HU-HR CBC Programme has been implemented in peaceful and settled, but specific programme area

Challenges of the programme area Border (328 km) geographically limited in case of both countries (determined by natural characteristics: rivers Mura and Drava) Problem of the slow opening of borders (Schengen Area) Cross-border transport infrastructure is weak and limited (only 6 road- and 3 railway border crossings) + Strong language barrier

EU funding to the Programme Priority 1  Sustainable environment and tourism ,00 EUR Priority 2  Co-operative economy and inter-community human resource development ,00 EUR Priority 3  Technical assistance ,00 EUR Total ( ) ,00 EUR

Area of Intervention Development of landscapes in the Mura-Drava- Danube area and its natural and rural surroundings Environmental planning activities and minor public actions to improve the quality of the environment in the natural areas

Area of Intervention Regional Tourism Product Plan Development of infrastructure for active and ecotourism Thematic routes of cultural heritage Promotion of the river area as a single tourism product Private investment attraction

Priority Cross-border business partner finding Cross-border labour market mobility promotion Joint research, development and innovation ( R+D+I ) Joint local planning, strategies, programmes Cross-border education, training and exchange projects People-to-people activities Bilingualism actions

Projects in numbers Number of Calls for Proposals: 1 in 2009, 1 in 2010 and 1 in Total number of applications: 315. Total number of supported projects: 163 so far. Number of Project Partner organisations in these projects: 237 HU and 274 HR. Ratio of Lead Beneficiaries in these projects: 108 HU and 55 HR (in case of the last Call this is 33:29).

Regional Tourism Product Plan I During the planning in 2006 and 2007 it was established that the HU-HR border region has great potential for sustainable tourism. The idea of the Mura-Drava-Danube eco-tourism region manifested in an independent Priority within the Programme (Priority 1.2). Instead of creating a ‘ programme within the programme ’, a two-step approach was used.

Regional Tourism Product Plan II The basic idea was to not support tourism investments in a scattered, point-like way, but to spend IPA CBC funding for joint tourism development in a co- ordinated way. The Programming Document prescribed first the preparation of a RTPP and only then the launching of open Calls for the funds dedicated to tourism. The open tender for the RTPP was launched in 2009.

Regional Tourism Product Plan III A partnership of 4 organisations won the funding and prepared the RTPP from February 2010 to June The output is a 650 page document analysing the tourism development possibilities of the HU and HR border region. It is accompanied by a GIS database. For future applicants the RTPP was condensed into a Tourism Handbook, published in September 2011.

Subregional product matrix

Joint tourism development in numbers Way paved by the Regional Tourism Product Plan, elaborated in 2010 and One Call for Proposals in 2011/2012. Number of tourism applications: 81. Number of supported tourism projects: 33 so far. Number of PP-s participating: 108 (50 HU and 58 HR). Amount of EU funding contracted to joint tourism development: ,02 EUR.

Action Based on the RTPP and the Tourism Handbook the Action was divided into two components: 1.2.2K1 – Eco-tourism infrastructure: bicycle paths K2 – Eco-tourism infrastructure: other joint investments in tourism infrastructure. The first component received a bigger allocation (8,5 million EUR) and a smaller one (6,4 million EUR).

Action 1.2.2/C1 in numbers Planned EU contribution allocation: EUR. Project funding between 100 thousand and 2 million, maximal implementation period of 20 months. Number of received applications: 15 – with altogether 17,7 million EUR funding need. Number of projects funded: 9 – with altogether 10,9 million EUR of EU contribution contracted.

Baranya / Osijek-Baranja I. HUHR/1101/1.2.2/ 1003  „Cycling across cultures” Harkány Város Önkormányzata, Grad Belišće Total budget: ,66 EUR HUHR/1101/1.2.2/ 1004  „Cross-Border Bike Project” Općina Antunovac, Zeleni Osijek, Pécsi Városfejlesztési Zrt, Geoscience NKft. Total budget: ,97 EUR

Baranya / Osijek-Baranja II. HUHR/1101/1.2.2/ 1005  „Cycling by the river” Hrvatske vode, Dél-dunántúli Vízügyi Igazgatóság Total budget: ,42 EUR HUHR/1101/1.2.2/ 1011  „BICBC” Mohács Város Önkormányzata, Grad Beli Manastir, Grad Belišće, Osječko-baranjska županija, Hrvatkse vode Total budget: ,00 EUR

Current status – January 2015 The Joint Monitoring Committee keeps a reserve list from the applications submitted to the 3 rd Call for Proposals. In December 2013, June 2014 and December 2014 there were new projects selected for funding from the list. The number of applications still standing in line is 15. It was still possible to award funding to projects of the reserve list, by re-using funds returning from earlier projects that were implemented and closed.

The new programming period 1. The planning process of the new cross-border co-operation programme between 2014 and 2020 is currently ongoing; meetings of the so-called Task Force (a bilateral programming body) are being organised regularly, with the last one (TF9) having taken place in Osijek on 13 January The Task Force is aided in its strategic work by a joint, Hungarian-Croatian expert team which – in close co- operation with the regional and sectoral bodies of both countries – elaborates the content of the future programme.

The new programming period 2. The planners have so far organised five public consultations (2013: Čakovec, Pécs; 2014: Križevci, Barcs, Kaposvár), and a so-called stakeholder workshop was also held (2014, Sopje). The participants of these events commented on the presented situation analysis / SWOT analysis, and provided suggestions to the thematic content of the new programming document.

The new programming period 3. The cross-border co-operation programmes of (called again INTERREG programmes) have to select from 11 thematic objectives (TO-s) 4 fields that they wish to address during their implementation. The planned topics of the Hungarian-Croatian border regions are enhancing the competitiveness of SME-s (TO3), protecting the environment and promoting resource efficiency (TO6), furthermore investing in education (TO10) and enhancing institutional capacity (TO11).

The new programming period 4. The new programme for the years between 2014 and 2020 will receive approximately the same level of EU funding as the one between 2007 and Among the planned interventions is a special scheme dedicated to SME-s. The programme will be submitted to the European Commission in spring Approval is expected for the summer of 2015, and that is when preparations on the first Calls for Proposals can begin.

The new programming period 5. The latest draft of the new cross-border co-operation programme (December 2014) is available for reading on the website of the current Programme, under the section ‘ Planning 2014 ’ :

Zone B of the programme area

Thank you for your attention! Márton Szűcs Hungary-Croatia Joint Technical Secretariat Internet: