EGTC-Workshop 2014/3 (Ráckeve)

On 15-16th of October, 2014 the seventh EGTC workshop was held in Ráckeve. Besides CESCI and the active EGTCs with Hungarian interests, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Prime Minister’s Office and West Pannon Nonprofit Kft. were also represented.

Guests were welcomed by Gyula Ocskay, secretary-general of CESCI. Afterwards, the representative of Nyugat-Pannon Terület- és Gazdaságfejlesztési Szolgáltató Nonprofit Kft. (West-Pannon Regional and Economic Development Non-Profit Ltd.) has introduced a LEADER project disseminating the regional development experience gathered in the Nyugat-Pannon region. Several participating EGTCs showed interest in the achievements of the project, especially considering the how-to of selling local products.

In the next session of the first day, representatives of the EGTC introduced themselves to the representative of the Prime Minister’s Office. Then Gyula Ocskay has shared recent developments with the managers of the EGTCs: participants were informed that the view of the European Union on the role of EGTCs seems to be changing. Instead of their exclusive project- or programme management – centred identification in the past, EGTCs’ regional development functions are likely to gain ground. With the cessation of the Ministry of Administration and Justice, EGTCs are facing significant change on the national level as well, tasks of the former ministry having been distributed between three new ministries (the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Justice).

In the end of the first day, a discussion was held on a larger future event which would introduce the professional achievements of Hungarian EGTCs on the European level. Participants have come to an agreement concerning the name and date of the event.

The second day, participants were consulting with colleagues of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade concerning the future prospects of the EGTC Fund, the new EGTC Regulation and the situation of the emerging EGTCs with Hungarian interests.

In the end of the conference, financed by the Ministry of Administration and Justice, participants had lunch together.