October 7-8, 2010 – a Forum of Regions “Regional Dimension of European Integration Processes” in the frames of the X Economic Forum was held in Truskavets. The Forum of Regions was conducted on the initiative of the Association of local self-government bodies “Euroregion Carpathians - Ukraine” under the project of the Association “Carpathian Horizon 2013 – discussion of prospects of EU operational project for the Carpathian region”, supported by the International Renaissance Foundation.
The Forum was attended by over sixty representatives of executive authorities and local self-government, NGO sector, science, business, as well as experts from Ukraine, Poland, Slovak Republic, Germany, Belarus and Czech Republic. During the event, participants discussed issues of regional policy as a tool for the development of regions, financial resources for regional development, infrastructural projects, territorial structures and territorial dimension of regional development in the Carpathians.
The Forum of Regions was opened by Volodymyr Yatsuba, Minister of Regional Development and Construction of Ukraine, Vasyl Horbal, head of Lviv Oblast State Administration and Marek Kuchcinski, Vice-Marshal of Polish Parliament.
Minister of Regional Development and Construction of Ukraine noted the special role of the Forum in working out effective mechanisms for regional development and presented the Government’s position on its financial support in Ukraine.
Marek Kuchcinski, representative of the Polish Sejm, paid a lot of attention to the development of the Carpathian region, noting that the discussion of the next financial perspective of the EU has already started in the Polish and European Parliaments, which means that the efforts of Ukraine, Poland, Slovak Republic, Romania and Hungary have to be mobilized to develop a financial mechanism for funding regional development in the Carpathians from 2013.
Leadership of the border regions of Ukraine, Poland, Belarus (Vasyl Horbal, head of Lviv Oblast State Administration, Zygmunt Holyevinsky, Marshal of Chairman of Lviv Regional State Administration Vasyl Horbal, Marshal of Podkarpackie province and Kostiantyn Sumar, head of Brest Oblast Executive Committee) emphasized the special role of the EU programs for development of border areas and, therefore, the need for planning programs for the next financial perspective of the EU. Presentation on the issues of trans-border cooperation by Professor Nadiya Mikula aroused great interest of participants.
The last panel discussion – “The territorial dimension of regional development in the Carpathians: the Carpathian Horizon 2013” – was devoted to the possibilities of regional development in the Carpathians in the next financial perspective of the European Union. Leaders of the Ukrainian, Polish and Slovak national parties of the Carpathian Euroregion – Volodymyr Horbovy, David Lyasek and Joseph Polyachko – respectively presented the current state of cooperation within this structure and vision of its development.
At the end of the forum, organizers presented the concept “Carpathian Horizon – 2010”, which is devoted to the development of a separate operational program of the EU for the Carpathian regions for the financial perspective of 2014-2020. The discussed concept was developed by Ukrainian experts in collaboration with the Polish and Slovak partners under the project “Carpathian Horizon 2013 – discussion of prospects of EU operational program for the Carpathian region”, which is implemented by the Association of local self-government bodies “Euroregion Carpathians – Ukraine”, with the financial support of the International Renaissance. On October 12, Volodymyr Horbovy and Halyna Lytvyn, representatives of the association “Euroregion Carpathians – Ukraine”, together with the Polish colleagues, presented the concept at the seminar “Small Eastern Partnership in Brussels. The seminar was attended by members of the European Parliament, representatives of general directorates responsible for developing programs of the European Commission, as well as representatives of Polish and Ukrainian border regions.
On December 8, 2010, the European Commission will conduct an open hearing on the concept “Carpathian Horizon – 2013”, at which the decision concerning its possible implementation and creation of financial instrument for the support of sustainable development of the Carpathians will be taken.
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For further information please contact: Halyna Lytvyn, tel. 0979512558, eku@ukr.net
The Forum of Regions was held under the project “Carpathian Horizon 2013 – discussion of prospects of EU operational project for the Carpathian region”, which is being implemented by the Association of local self-government bodies “Euroregion Carpathians – Ukraine”, with the support of the European Program of the International Renaissance Foundation and aims at creating favorable environment for discussion of prospects for territorial cooperation in the frames of the Carpathian Euroregion in the next financial perspective of the European Union.
