Interreg V-A Slovenia-Austria, June 2019

1 | c i t i z e n s ⁾ s u m m a r y 2 0 1 8

1. BACKGROUND

This is a brief summary of the Annual Implementation Report (AIR) for the Cooperation Programme

Interreg V-A Slovenia-Austria for the programming period 2014-2020, which reports on the

implementation of the programme during the calendar year 2018. The report was prepared by the

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy, acting as the Managing Authority

(MA) of the programme in cooperation with its programme partners. It was approved by the

Monitoring Committee (MC) on 17 June 2019 and sent to the European Commission (EC). The

programme is co-financing projects from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), that

contribute efficiently to the overall objective of the programme, which is to ensure the harmonious

development of participating cross-border (CB) regions and to enable all citizens to make the best use

of given natural conditions and opportunities, taking into account the specifics of each part of the

programme area. The co-financed projects are corresponding to the following priority axes and related

specific objectives:

2. OVERVIEW OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COOPERATION PROGRAMME IN 2018 HIGHLIGHTED IN FIGURES

In 2018, the implementation of the programme ran very actively with sending four payment requests

to the European Commission (EC), closing the 4th deadline for submission of project applications,

approving and monitoring the projects etc. The MA and JS were intensely communicating and

coordinating with all the programme partners in a pro-active and open way. On 6 and 7 March 2018,

the MC members met at their 5th meeting in order to decide on the project applications received within

the 3rd deadline for submission.

Pri

ori

ty A

xis

1:

Stre

ngt

he

nin

g cr

oss

-bo

rde

r C

om

pe

titi

ven

ess

Re

sear

ch a

nd

Inn

ova

tio

n •Investment Priority: 1(b) Promoting business investment in innovation and research, and developing links and synergies between enterprises, R&D centres and higher education

•Specific objective 1: Strengthening R&I in technological and economic fields of strength through CB cooperation of relevant stakeholders.

•Specific objective 2: Broadening the basis of innovating enterprises in the programme area.

•Specific objective 3: Increasing the level of internationalization of enterprises, especially SMEs in the programme area P

rio

rity

Axi

s 2

: P

rote

ctin

g th

e E

nvi

ron

me

nt

and

P

rom

oti

ng

Re

sou

rce

Eff

icie

ncy •Investment Priority: 6(c)

Protecting, promoting and developing cultural and natural heritage

•Specific objective: Achieving sustainable development of natural and cultural heritage

•Investment Priority: 6(f): Promoting innovative technologies to improve environmental protection and resource efficiency in waste sector, water sector, soil protection or to reduce air pollution

•Specific objective: Innovation in sustainable management and utilization of water resources

Pri

ori

ty A

xis

3:

Enh

anci

ng

Inst

itu

tio

nal

Cap

acit

y an

d

an E

ffic

ien

t P

ub

lic A

dm

inis

trat

ion •Investment Priority: 11(b)

promoting legal and administrative cooperation and cooperation between citizens and institutions

•Specific objective 1: Improving cooperation in the fields of risk management, energy, health and social cohesion

•Specific objective 2: Improving interactions among municipalities and citizens within the CB region

2 | c i t i z e n s ⁾ s u m m a r y 2 0 1 8

During the year 2018, 18

additional projects (6

projects in the frame of

priority axis 1, 6 project

in the frame of priority

axis 2, and 6 projects in

the frame of priority axis

3) in the amount of

18,511,951.90 EUR ERDF

funds were approved for

co-financing. For 17 out

of 18 projects also the

Subsidy contract for the

co-financing with funds

from the European

Regional Development Fund (ERDF) has been signed in 2018, namely on 26 April in Vitanje and on 7

June in Rakičan. For the beneficiaries of these projects, the workshop on reporting for the projects

approved in the frame of the 3rd deadline was held on 18 September 2018 in Leibnitz. The MC met also

on 5 December 2018, at the 6th MC meeting to discuss topics related to the Open call, approved the

Communication plan 2019, etc. By the end of 2018, Subsidy contracts in the amount of 41,887,836.40

EUR ERDF funds were signed for 40 projects, which represents 93,1% of the funds available for

projects. Including also the project for which the subsidy contract was signed in 2019 41 projects in

the amount of 42,547,880.09 EUR ERDF funds were approved for co-financing by the end of 2018.

Project partners come

from 17 out of 18 regions

of the programme area.

Altogether, 230 project

partners are cooperating

in the 41 projects.

In relation to the financial

data 10,129,022.77 EUR

total funds were declared

by beneficiaries to the

MA. Four payment

requests were sent to the

EC in the amount of

6,887,490,92 EUR ERDF.

Two projects, namely

regioWIN and the project SMART PRODUCTION, were finished until the submission of the AIR 2018; all

others are still in the implementation.

Number of projects per region

3 | c i t i z e n s ⁾ s u m m a r y 2 0 1 8

ERDF funds committed (41 approved projects) per region in EUR:

3. OTHER INFORMATION AND PUBLICITY MEASURES IN 2018

The MA and JS hosted representatives of the executive bodies of the IPA cross-border cooperation

programme Kosovo-Macedonia 2014-2020, on 2 March 2018, in the frame of a study visit. In July 2018,

the MA and JS organized an international training for the use of the Arachne Risk Assessment Tool for

representatives of national control units from Hungary, Austria, Croatia and Slovenia and an

international exchange of experiences attended by representatives of the MAs and JSs of the

cooperation programmes Interreg V-A Slovenia-Austria, Slovenia-Croatia, Slovenia-Hungary, Austria-

Hungary and Hungary-Croatia took place in Cogetinci (Cerkvenjak), Slovenia.

The major annual event of the programme was carried out on 21 September in the frame of the

European Cooperation Day (EC Day) 2018. Slovenia and Austria have in the frame of their cooperation

already implemented a number of successful cross-border projects, which constitute the identity of

the border region. Three of them have been introduced to the participants in the frame of the event

»Experiencing the cross-border Geopark« which was organized by programme in cooperation with the

programme partner Amt der Kärntner Landesregierung and the project partner Geopark

Karavanke/Karawanken. The event was organised as a cross-border event, consisting of a visit to the

Mežica mine and the Petzen mountain. A group of about 360 participants from Slovenia and Austria

had the chance to visit parts of the programme area and to have a closer look at projects in

implementation.

963.184,80

1.903.863,82

3.925.552,65

1.266.543,70

2.976.964,63

6.273.973,77

810.454,37

3.680.855,70

1.699.502,54

459.315,93

126.671,25

3.126.217,27

4.717.187,66

1.753.717,31

499.640,97

0,00

5.584.142,06

1.813.996,96

966.094,70

Nordburgenland

Südburgenland

Klagenfurt-Villach

Oberkärnten

Unterkärnten

Graz

Östliche Obersteiermark

Oststeiermark

West- und Südsteiermark

Westliche Obersteiermark

Wien

Pomurska

Podravska

Koroška

Savinjska

Zasavska

Osrednjeslovenska

Gorenjska

Goriška

4 | c i t i z e n s ⁾ s u m m a r y 2 0 1 8

In the frame of the programme's website, 35 news on activities, events and relevant information were

published in 2018. These were, in addition, distributed as e-newsletters. For spreading news about the

programme, also the programme's Facebook page was used.

4. WHAT HAS CHANGED?

Within the 41 projects in implementation, performing activities on improving quality of life in the

programme area, 1005 enterprises are planned to receive non-financial support and are affected by

the project activities, 22 enterprises are included as project partners in those projects. The programme

supports by now 7 cross-border projects in the field of R&D and another 6 in the field of

internationalisation. 27 newly developed and/or improved joint cross-border tourist products are

being developed, supported by 15 tourism related services. One project is searching for solutions in

the field of water management by developing a management strategy on modelling, monitoring and

forecasting studies. More than 240 institutions are participating in joint cross-border initiatives to

enhance institutional capacity by strengthening the cooperation within cross-border networks,

improving public services, reduce administrative burden, etc.

EUROPEAN COOPERATION DAY 2018

Slovenia and Austria have in the frame of their cooperation already implemented a number of successful cross-border projects, which constitute the identity of the border region. Some of them have been introduced to the participants in the frame of the event »Experiencing the cross-border Geopark« which was, on Friday, 21 September 2018.

5 | c i t i z e n s ⁾ s u m m a r y 2 0 1 8

In two to three years, citizens in the involved regions should benefit from concrete results of the

implemented activities covering the programme indicators. A lot of tangible outputs can already be

used by target groups and general public as shown in the example below.

5. MORE INFORMATION

The latest programme news and information on events and projects

implemented within the programme are available on the programme

website: www.si-at.eu and on Facebook.

Contact: Joint secretariat

Trubarjeva 11, SI-2000 Maribor, Slovenija

e-mail: si-at.svrk@gov.si, T: +386 (0)1 400 3167

www.svrk.gov.si, www.si-at.eu

CCI 2014TC16RFCB054

Title Cooperation programme Interreg V-A Slovenia-Austria

Programme version 1.2

Reporting year 2018

Date of approval of the report by the Monitoring Committee 17 June 2019

Date of approval of the report by the European Commission 8 August 2019

ALPE ADRIA KARAVANKE/KARAWANKEN

alpe adria regija doživetij / alpe adria erlebnis-region

The aim of the project is to place the underdeveloped cross-border tourist area on the international tourist map for the first time with an innovative range of products and marketing approaches. Furthermore, the cross-border development of the green tourist region Alpe Adria Karavanke/Karawanken will be ensured. All of the above will guarantee a long-term development of sustainable tourism in the area, create new jobs and increase the number of overnight stays.

newly developed and/or improved joint CB tourist

products planned

3

sustainable tourism related

services planned

1

3

6 | c i t i z e n s ⁾ s u m m a r y 2 0 1 8