Euroregion Baltic

Euroregion Baltic (ERB) in Poland

Euroregions in Poland - useful informations and definitions

Politico-constitutional breakthroughin 1989 between the countries of Central Europe has enabled the establishment of cross-border cooperation and its institutionalization.

Cross-border cooperation include:

Cross-border cooperation
Euro-regional cooperation

Cross-border cooperation is any common action designed to reinforce and foster neighborly relations between territorial communities or authorities of two or more sides, and it is a broader concept than Euroregional cooperation.

Euroregion:

formal institutionalized relationship, concluded between state organizations or local governments, or informal cooperation, created by professional or scientific associations in border areas,
formalized structure of cross-border cooperation between regional or local bodies of power, possibly involving economic and social partners,
agreement beetwen neighboring border regions on cross-border cooperation,
local institutionalization of cross-border cooperation with the full recognition of national borders and laws of the countries participating in the creation of the Euroregion,
cross-border structure bringing together the association relationships of each administrative areas of its component for mutual cooperation,
organization of cross-border, which frames are designated by similar problems, weave relations and the willingness to cooperate individuals and local institutions.

Definition of Euroregion:
This is the formal structure of cross-border cooperation bringing together representatives of the local and regional level, and in appropriate cases the social partners. These are legal entities who set themselves goals and have vast possibilities of action.

Areas of cooperation euroregional:

border areas (border, a border); area and zone
a border area, borderland, cross-border area,
region,
border region (border, frontier)
cross-border region,
Euroregion

Usefull definitions:

Border area - area up to 100 km from the border
Border area - area 20-30 km from the border
Frontier zone - area 2-6 km from the border
Necessary road area - belt 15-100 m from the border

Area frontier, the frontier and cross-border area - this idea of a similar range of meaning. It is understood as an area located in the neighborhood (nearby) border on both sides.
Region - is understood as a separate, relatively homogeneous area distinctive from adjacent areas of natural or acquired traits.
Border region (border, frontier) is an area located on one side of the border.
Cross-border region - is an area located on both sides of the border.

Institutions and organizations support operation euroregions

An important role in cross-border cooperation on the borders of Polish play:

Institutions and international organizations, including the Council of Europe and the European Union,
International non-governmental organizations supported jointly by the Council of Europe and the European Union,
Intergovernmental and national committees (committees) and the offices dealing with the problems of this cooperation.

Cooperation in border regions should be the years of the priorities of the European Union. Communities Commission and the European Commission provides financial assistance to border regions in the framework of a special program INTERREG. In 1994, he established the Committee of the Regions as an advisory body of the Council of Europe and the European Commission, and at the same time as the representative of local and regional authorities of the Member States of the European Union.

In order to increase its role in European cooperation regions have formed an international non-governmental organization - Association of European Border Regions (AEBR). The seat of the Association is the town of Gronau in Germany.

The tasks of AEBR in particular:

Implementation of joint programs and projects applying for funds, deposit and disposal of them,
Organization of events relating to the issue of cross-border cooperation,
Participation in solving cross-border problems and support particularly important, model initiatives,
Preparation and implementation of joint action,
Expansion of the "center of European border regions" in close cooperation with the European Union and the Council of Europe,
Informing politicians and public opinion in Europe on the issues of cross-border cooperation,

Euroregional cooperation is an important instrument to create in Europe a new relationship interstate and interregional.

The basis of the new legal infrastructure of bilateral relations are the multilateral agreements (international), in which one of the most important rules is to establish and develop various forms of cross-border cooperation.

Of particular importance for cross-border cooperation in the Polish border regions have contracts drawn up and adopted by the international institutions, especially the Council of Europe and the Association of European Border Regions (AEBR). The group of these contracts primarily include:

The European Framework Convention on Transfrontier Cooperation between Territorial Communities or Authorities of 1980, known as the Madrid Convention in brief,
The European Charter for Border and Cross-Border Regions 1981.,
The European Charter of Local Self-Government of 1985.
European Charter of Regional Self-Government, 1997
The European Framework Convention on Transfrontier Cooperation between Territorial Communities or Authorities adopted by the Council of Europe in 1980 in Madrid.

Financing cooperation euroregional

Financing cooperation is defined in the statutes of Euroregions. Members of the Euroregion are obliged to contribute to the financing of its activities in the agreed amount and form. These measures are collected on separate accounts and come from sources such as:

membership fees paid by the participants of the agreement euroregional supporting members, donations, gifts, etc ..
other sources of funding:
subsidies higher level administration units, including the regional and central (eg. when paying membership fees SERG)
aid funds from the European Union