EGTC-Workshop 2014/2 (Ráckeve)

The second EGTC workshop of the year 2014 was organized on 3^th-4^th June in Ráckeve, at the Savoya Castle. Within the framework of the event the participants conciliated on the future of the EGTCs and heard presentations on an educational partnership opportunity and the 2014-2020 Hungary-Slovakia Cross-border Cooperation Programme. Besides the colleagues of the EGTCs, the representatives of the Ministry of Justice and Public Administration, the Prime Minister’s Office and the EDUTUS Collage as well. Our association was represented by the Secretary General, Mr Gyula Ocskay.

In course of the first session of the meeting the representatives of the Ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office, dr Nóra Ivády and Mr Péter Kiss-Parciu talked about how the issues of the European territorial cooperation and the EGTCs will be involved into the new government structure. Then Mr Gyula Ocskay summarized the content of the Government Resolution no. 1178/2010.(VIII.24.) and the results of the EGTC programme achieved during the last four years; on the other hand presented those steps which seems to be necessary for the successful future. These steps can be classified into three levels: legal, political and financial. On behalf of the EGTCs several comments were made which were discussed at the end of the session by the participants.

At the second part of the afternoon Mr Péter Kiss-Parciu and Mr Gyula Ocskay gave on overview on the Danube START-programme the call for proposal of which was published in the meantime, in August. As the last agenda item of the day, dr József Kandikó professor of the EDUTUS College introduced their training institutional development concept. He highlighted that they count on the cooperation between their sub-institutions along the borders and the EGTCs.

At the second day of the meeting Mr Gyula Ocskay presented the expected framework of the Hungary-Slovakia Cross-border Cooperation Programme. He talked about the changes in the institutional structure, the eligible thematic areas and the EGTCs’ opportunities as well. He emphasized that however the first call for proposals will be published in the second half of 2015 it is worth launching the planning process now.

The workshop was followed by a joint lunch.