The founding document of the cross-border “Cross-border World Heritage Fertő-Neusiedler See Consultative Council” was signed

In the framework of the Common Heritage (ATHU0136) project, based on the feasibility study prepared by CESCI, the preparation of the cross-border cooperation agreement between the “Fertő-táj World Heritage Hungarian Council” in Hungary and the “Verein Welterbe Neusiedler See” in Austria continued in the fall of 2022. After the autumn negotiations on the content of the agreement, a meeting of the working group preparing the agreement took place on November 14, 2022, in Fertőszéplak. The founding document was signed by the presidents of the founding associations on December 5, 2022, in Kismarton.

In the summer of 2022, CESCI handed over to the “Fertő-táj World Heritage Hungarian Council” association the feasibility study for the establishment of a joint, cross-border management organization of the World Heritage site, which was completed in part in the framework of participatory planning that began in the fall of 2021. The document proposed an evolutionary process and prepared the related documents (foundation document, organizational and operational regulations of the proposed cross-border cooperation formation).

In the fall of 2022, the “Fertő-táj World Heritage Hungarian Council” entrusted CESCI with mentoring the implementation of the multi-stage organizational development model within the framework of the Common Heritage (ATHU0136) project. In the framework of this process, the wording of the founding document was first negotiated. Finally, the founding document, prepared in both Hungarian and German, was jointly reviewed by the two associations on November 14, 2022, at a working group meeting in Fertőszéplak, led by CESCI. At the opening of the event, the presidents of the two associations, Erwin Preiner, and Ferenc Ivanics greeted those present and highlighted the importance of cooperation. The first professional presentation of the meeting was given by the secretary of the Hungarian association, Tamás Taschner, about the main characteristics of the project. After that, the director of CESCI, Kitti Dubniczki, presented the process of preparing the agreement, and the planned content of the founding document was reviewed in detail. The meeting also created an opportunity for the associations to agree on the continuation, the actions necessary to sign the agreement, and the location and date of the next meeting.

In accordance with the preparatory negotiations, the World Heritage Associations, acting within their own jurisdiction, held a general assembly, at which they decided to approve the founding document of the Cross-border World Heritage Fertő-Neusiedler See Consultative Council. After that, the founding meeting of the Consultative Council was held in Kismarton on December 5, 2022. The meeting was first opened by Hannes Klein, the executive director of the Austrian association, who briefly explained that with the establishment of the Consultative Council, an information body is created, which does not have legal personality, its decisions are only recommendations, but at the same time, its significance is outstanding in terms of strengthening cooperation. This was followed by speeches by Tamás Taschner, the secretary of the Hungarian association, and then by the presidents of the two associations, Erwin Preiner and Ferenc Ivanics. They all talked about the challenges and, at the same time, opportunities for cooperation. After the speeches, the association members symbolically jointly voted again on the approval of the founding document, and then the presidents of the associations signed the founding document. The Consultative Council will hold its next meeting on December 21, 2022.

At the end of the project, CESCI compiled the document entitled “Roadmap to the establishment of a joint organization”, in which, after explaining the history, it formulated proposals (target system, interventions, schedule) in order to build mutual knowledge and trust necessary to achieve the future joint organization.